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Guest author and fitness expert, Kathy Ekdahl shares her secrets to loosing that extra weight and staying fit and healthy.

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Q- How do I know whether I am fit enough? Are there standards for fitness that I should try to adhere to?

When we us the term “fit” we  are talking in very general terms about someone who looks strong and healthy and exercises consistently. But the definition of good fitness really has several components. They are: cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition (fat versus muscle tissue). To be truly “fit”, we do need to address all aspects of fitness. For example, if you can run 10 miles, but can’t do 10 push-ups- then you are not truly fit.  Or, conversely, if you can do 400 pound leg press, but can’t run a mile, then again, your fitness is not complete. So, it is very important to make sure your exercise regimen addresses all aspects of fitness.

As a strength and conditioning coach, I test my clients in all aspects of fitness to discover where their fitness is adequate, and where it is not. Addressing weaknesses in fitness is very important! Most people focus only on what they are good at, and ignore what they are not good at (or do not like to do). This will lead to imbalances in fitness, which will eventually lead to injuries.

For the average exercise enthusiast (not an athlete) some basic standards I use for good fitness are:

• The ability to do at least 10 straight leg push ups
• The ability to touch your toes when standing or sitting on the floor
• The ability to get your heart rate high in its training zone for short periods of time and then recover within one minute
• The ability to run longer distances, 1-2 miles, without stopping
• The ability to perform a deep squat with perfect technique
• The ability to balance on one foot for greater than 20 seconds
• The ability to perform a prone plank hold for one minute
• Normal body fat measurements- neither too high, nor too low

Of course, genetically we may be predisposed to being good at one aspect of fitness versus another, so it is normal to excel at some aspects of fitness and struggle with others. But- that’s no reason to ignore the ones we are not good at! Make sure your program addresses all aspects of fitness by stretching daily,  performing  heavy weight training 2-3 days a week, doing cardiovascular endurance activities such as biking, jogging, walking 3 days a week- including some high intensity interval training – and eating well and keeping bodyweight and body fat in normal parameters.

Kathy Ekdahl, ACE cPT, CSCS, is a nationally certified personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach, who lives in Hudson, Mass. Kathy has  worked for over 20 years in the fitness industry, and is the coach of the Hudson High School Women’s Varsity Lacrosse and Field Hockey teams. She will be answering your fitness questions each week in this column, and welcomes your questions. To send a question, email Kathy at: kathy@personalbestpersonaltraining.com.

Guest author and fitness expert, Kathy Ekdahl shares her secrets to loosing that extra weight.

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Q-    Which weight loss programs and/or diets do you recommend?

A- There is no one weight loss program that I recommend to my clients, and in fact, for some clients, I do not recommend any specific diet or weight loss program at all! The research is quite clear: close to 85-90% of the people who lose weight via a diet or “weight loss program”, gain all the weight back, and more. This is a pretty sad statement about the efficacy of the programs and diets that are out there.

In comparative research studies, it has been shown that Weight Watcher’s is the most successful, not because of any specific nutrition or diet recommendations, but because of its well known support system. It is the support system which is an absolute must for those of you trying to lose significant amounts of weight- so this is where Weight Watcher’s really wins! But, amazingly, the average weight loss per year of Weight Watchers is less than 10 pounds, and this is the most successful? Cleary, we are not getting things right here!

I generally do not recommend weight loss programs that have pre- packaged foods. These are often preservative and salt filled, and I personally believe that preservatives, salt, extra sugar, and other processed foods must be eliminated from the diet to achieve permanent weight loss.  Also, what tempts people to try these diets- being told what to eat and when- is also the downfall of these programs. We need to learn to make proper choices for ourselves rather than relying on someone else telling us what to eat. I also do not recommend high protein/high saturated fat/ low carb programs (Atkin’s) either.  I do think that it is too restrictive, not enough healthy foods, and the research is still not conclusive about whether it raises or lowers  cholesterol and lipids. But, having said that, I do believe that for some people, beginning a healthy diet may need to be jumpstarted with a specific diet/ program.

The one diet I do recommend is the South Beach Diet. It is closest to the principles that I ask my clients to adhere to:
-    healthy fats
-    low refined carbohydrates
-    plenty of lean protein
-    lots of vegetables, some fruits
-    Multiple small meals with snacks in between

But even the SB diet goes too low in calories initially, and recipes are a bit cumbersome- so nothing is perfect! And, no matter what “diet” or “program” you go on-  you must be able to maintain that type of eating forever- or you’ll gain the weight back.
The final answer- choose a program you can stick with and is easy to plan and cook for. Avoid diets that restrict one food group or go too low in calories- inevitably these backfire. And, allow yourself a cheat meal each week. This can help you get over the boredom of dieting.

Kathy Ekdahl, ACE cPT, CSCS, is a nationally certified personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach, who lives in Hudson, Mass. Kathy has  worked for over 20 years in the fitness industry, and is the coach of the Hudson High School Women’s Varsity Lacrosse and Field Hockey teams. She will be answering your fitness questions each week in this column, and welcomes your questions. To send a question, email Kathy at: kathy@personalbestpersonaltraining.com.

Guest author and fitness expert, Kathy Ekdahl shares her secrets to loosing that extra weight.

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Q: Why do we gain weight when we age? I exercise and eat the same as I always have, but I am still gaining weight?

There are many factors involved in why we gain weight in our middle age and, in many cases, we can control these factors. What we can not control, is that we all will age. We can slow things down, or accelerate them with our lifestyle choices, but aging is a major factor for weight gain. One primary reason is that, as we age, we lose muscle tissue through a normal (but not optimal) process called sarcopenia. Since muscle tissue drives our metabolism (as we talked about last week), sarcopenia results in a slow down of our metabolism and hence a gain of body fat.  With this loss of muscle tissue, since our metabolisms are slowed, we can eat the same amount of food as when we were younger, but unfortunately now gain weight. This is complicated by the fact that many middle age exercisers rely only on cardiovascular exercise like walking or biking for fitness. Unfortunately, cardiovascular exercise does not add muscle tissue, so this is no longer enough to keep body fat at bay.

Another factor to consider is that aging also causes us to lose other aspects of fitness as well as joint health, so our exercise programs tend to diminish and become less intense out of fear of injury, or fear that “we are too old” to be exercising vigorously. Yet, this is what many of us need to add back lost muscle tissue!

The bottom line is that we need to be doing strength training exercises 2-3 days a week. Strength training is appropriate for almost everybody in some form, and with proper training and progression, all ages can add muscle tissue and resulting strength and power, while reducing risk of injuries. Oh yeah… and lose body fat in the process.

Lastly, take note of what I mentioned above; that we can choose to speed the aging process up, or slow it down, through our lifestyle choices. Exercise, eating well, not smoking, drinking in moderation, taking the proper supplements, will all help you age gracefully.

Kathy Ekdahl, ACE cPT, CSCS, is a nationally certified personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach, who lives in Hudson, Mass. Kathy has  worked for over 20 years in the fitness industry, and is the coach of the Hudson High School Women’s Varsity Lacrosse and Field Hockey teams. She will be answering your fitness questions each week in this column, and welcomes your questions. To send a question, email Kathy at: kathy@personalbestpersonaltraining.com.

We all want to stay healthy. I used to run when I was younger and even though I never finished a marathon, I managed a few 10K races. But then life got busier and I stopped running. A few years later when I tried to begin again, my knees started complaining. Guest author and nationally certified personal trainer Kathy Ekdahl has some sound advice for the boomer who wants to start again.

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Running to get in shape – But my knees hurt. Is it too late to start again?

Q- I want to start running to get in shape, but every time I try, I get knee and hip pain. Is this inevitable, and does running cause arthritis?

A-Large research studies have shown that runners do not have a greater incidence of osteoarthritis than other populations, so, no, running does not cause arthritis. But, running is a very repetitive form of exercise, and to run without musculoskeletal pain and overuse injuries takes some knowledge and planning. You can’t just throw on a pair of old sneakers and head out the door and expect to be able to run well and run far unless you’ve done your homework!

First, I’d invest in a good pair of sneakers. There are stores that will choose sneakers for you based on your specific foot and gait patterns. Large sporting goods stores may not have personnel who are knowledgeable about gait patterns, so look for a store that caters to runners.

Secondly, there is a great saying about running: “Get fit to run, don’t run to get fit.” To a large degree, I agree with this. If you are not physically prepared for running, it can cause injuries due to its repetitive nature. Running requires healthy strong muscles, good flexibility, and a comprehensive warm-up and cool down to prevent injury. I recommend that you work on your core strength including the muscles of the hips, to prevent the type of nagging foot, back and knee pain many runners experience. Weak, tight hip muscles are a major cause of knee pain!

Make sure that you have a good flexibility program in place as well, stretching the major muscles of the legs including hip flexors, glutes, hamstrings and calves. You should always perform static stretches after you run, not before. Holding stretches statically before you run can cause injuries, not prevent them, as it decreases neuromuscular activation, which is not good if we want the muscles to work for us during running! Instead of static stretches, perform dynamic movements which warm up muscles and joints and help the joints move smoothly. I also highly recommend the use of foam rollers as a way to keep muscle tissue healthy.

Lastly, if you begin to develop nagging pain during or after running, don’t ignore it.  Go see your Doctor. Ignoring injuries always makes them get worse and last longer- and runners have a bad habit of doing this.

Running can be a part of a well rounded fitness program, and while not everyone can or should run, many of us can manage shorter distances (3-4 miles) several days a week without injury.  Remember that running every day is not necessary, so be conservative and run 3 days a week instead of more. And, always start with short distances or run/walks and build up.

Kathy Ekdahl, ACE cPT, CSCS, is a nationally certified personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach, who lives in Hudson, Mass. Kathy has  worked for over 20 years in the fitness industry, and is the coach of the Hudson High School Women’s Varsity Lacrosse and Field Hockey teams. She will be answering your fitness questions each week in this column, and welcomes your questions. To send a question, email Kathy at:kathy@personalbestpersonaltraining.com or visit her website.

It’s holiday time! And for the next month of so the temptation to eat more and exercise less will be a constant companion. Get a jump on your January Resolutions by paying attention to your health now! Over the next few weeks, Midlifejourney.com will be publishing guest posts by nationally certified personal trainer, Kathy Ekdahl, who shares some of the best ideas to keep you body, mind and spirit in balance!

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What is the most effective way to lose body fat?

Losing body fat is different than just “losing weight.” So, your question is a good one. Losing weight is easier…. Just go on a crash diet, lose lots of water and muscle tissue (up to 30% of your weight loss) as well as a little fat, and you’ll weigh less. But it won’t last- your crash diet lowered your metabolism by wasting muscle tissue, so now you gain weight back faster. Diet alone never results in permanent weight loss.

Instead, losing body fat means doing everything nutritionally and exercise wise to promote or maintain muscle tissue while losing body fat. This means you can not go too low in calories, or you will cannibalize muscle, and you must exercise hard to elevate your metabolism and stimulate muscle tissue growth.

As far as exercise, years ago, most fitness experts felt that cardiovascular training was the best way to lose body fat, but, recent research has highlighted the importance of hard strength training and high intensity aerobic work in body fat loss. By hard strength training, I mean multi muscle group exercises that produce muscle exhaustion. What you do, and how you do it, depends on your baseline fitness level, but whole body strength training 2-3 times a week is suggested.  As far as cardio, steady state cardio (like walking or jogging) does not produce the same metabolic increase that intervals of high intensity cardio do. SO- add some intervals of hard cardio 2x a week, and you’ll really start to burn fat.

Finally, as I mentioned above, healthy nutrition is the key to success. This is where most people really have a hard time. Many people need to dramatically change their diets, but most are unaware of what they eat and when, so food logs are an absolute. You must have adequate- but not too much- caloric intake and you must eat with regular frequency, never going too long between meals. Under eating during the day only leads to over eating at night, so skipping meals makes no sense. I believe that reducing processed foods, high fat foods, and refined and “starchy” carbohydrates can dramatically improve your health.  Instead of these foods, add more lean protein, vegetables, healthy fats and fruits, and you will lose body fat.  Eat whole, from the earth, unprocessed foods, and you can’t go wrong!

Kathy Ekdahl, ACE cPT, CSCS, is a nationally certified personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach, who lives in Hudson, Mass. Kathy has  worked for over 20 years in the fitness industry, and is the coach of the Hudson High School Women’s Varsity Lacrosse and Field Hockey teams. She will be answering your fitness questions each week in this column, and welcomes your questions. To send a question, email Kathy at: kathy@personalbestpersonaltraining.com. Visit her website at: http://personalbestpersonaltraining.com/