Do What You Like

Many times when I bring up the topic of a regular exercise routine with patients who don’t currently exercise (or haven’t done so in a long time), they’ll ask me, “What type of exercise should I do?” Similarly, when discussing adopting a healthier diet, a patient will often ask me, “What diet should I follow?”

As we discuss in our book, there isn’t one golden approach to a healthy lifestyle. Although there are numerous health gurus out there who push their own brand of health and exclude all others (and often their way is full of “must have” nutritional supplements and videos that can cost an arm and a leg), the reality is that by following general health principles, you can improve your own health a tremendous amount, all the while doing it in a way that’s palatable to you.

There are numerous diet and exercise programs out there: Low carb, low fat, vegetarianism, paleo diets, no sugar, no white flour, gluten free, various gimmick diets centered around shakes and supplements, etc. etc. Similarly for exercise, there’s running, weight lifting, calisthenics, sports, swimming, biking, yoga, tai chi, other forms of martial arts, dance, etc. etc.

Most programs out there have something beneficial to offer. However, as human beings, we’re all unique individuals who have our likes and dislikes. For example, broccoli is a healthy vegetable. But if I told every person out there that they must include broccoli as part of a healthy diet, I would have many people who simply couldn’t follow such a diet due to their dislike of broccoli. However, if I advised people to simply include more vegetables in their diet, I would likely have more success given the fact that most people probably enjoy, or at least tolerate, some types of vegetables.

Similarly, if I told everyone that they must go on a brisk walk for 30 minutes on most days of the week (a healthy habit indeed), I will likely have several people who eagerly comply (especially if they live in a scenic area with a temperate climate). However, there are many people out there who for various reasons (they live in a bad neighborhood where it’s unsafe to walk, it’s too cold, too rainy, or too hot to walk, they dislike walking, they have chronic foot pain), won’t walk. So when people ask me what type of exercise they should take up, I simply tell them to start doing anything that they enjoy that will make them “huff and puff” a little (I do want to briefly mention that before embarking on an exercise program more intense than light walking, people at risk for heart attacks, strokes, joint pain, etc. should be cleared by their physician).

Even in the realm of smoking cessation, there are different approaches. Forcing everyone to chew nicotine gum or to wear a patch is just not realistic.

The bottom line is to make meaningful changes that you can stick to long term. I can tell you that if you don’t enjoy something, then it probably won’t last.

I know that some of you might be thinking that you enjoy smoking, don’t enjoy any fruits or vegetables, and think that the most physical kind of activity that you’ll tolerate is flipping channels on the TV or walking to the fridge. Hey, it’s a free country, and at the end of the day you can choose to treat your body the way you want. However, what I’m suggesting is finding a happy medium in which you at least adopt some healthy lifestyle measures without spending the balance of your life waking up at 4 am for a 10 mile run followed by hours of push-ups and feasting on nothing more than alfalfa sprouts, steamed asparagus and boiled chicken (unless of course, that’s what you enjoy).

- Tamir

(Image links back to source: NBC News)

Get up and move!

We dedicate an entire chapter in our book to exercise and its numerous benefits. We also mention how in addition to formal exercise, lack of movement in and of itself has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, premature death, and certain cancers. In fact, some studies show the association of sitting time with poor health outcomes to be as strong as that of smoking or morbid obesity.

Don’t use a ‘reaching broom.’ Just get up.

Recently, a new study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity adds further evidence to the harms of excessive sitting. The study followed over 60,000 middle aged men, and concluded that those who sat for over 8 hours a day (which sounds like a lot of us) had a significantly higher risk of developing diabetes and other chronic diseases compared to those who sat fewer than 4 hours a day.

Obviously, if you do have a sedentary job, I’m not suggesting that you quit it (although if a more active type of job comes up with similar pay, benefits, and satisfaction, then it would perhaps be a good idea to switch). Rather, you should try to incorporate as much physical activity during the day as you can. For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park farther away. If possible, pace around while on the phone. Take short breaks to walk around, stretch, etc. If you do smoke, and do not wish to quit, then at least walk around during your cigarette break instead of sitting at your desk or on a bench.

Other studies have shown that even people who have a set time that they devote to exercise such as a session at the gym or a jog had poorer health if for the rest of the day they mostly sat. So don’t develop a false sense of security if you fall under that category. The bottom line is to stay as active as possible throughout the entire day.

- Tamir

Keeping it simple

Famed aeronautical engineer Kelly Johnson coined the acronym K.I.S.S. – Keep it simple, stupid! Since I try not to insult others, we can keep the principle, but perhaps abbreviate the acronym to K.I.S.

People often fail when trying to effect positive changes in their lives, such as embarking on a new diet or exercise regimen, because they complicate things too much. For example, many of us, when deciding to start working out, proceed to join a gym. Instead of following a simple, straight-forward program, on advice of self styled experts or weight training magazines we adopt something along the lines of:

Day 1: 20 minutes on stationary bicycle. 20 minutes on elliptical machine. 3 sets of bench press. 3 sets of incline bench press. 3 sets of decline bench press. 3 sets of dumbbell flys. 3 sets of dips. 3 sets of standing triceps extensions. 3 sets of lying triceps extensions. 3 sets of close grip bench presses. 3 sets of dumbbell bench presses. 3 sets of crunches. 3 sets of reverse crunches. 3 sets of hanging leg raises.

Day 2: 20 minutes on treadmill. 20 minutes on stepper. 3 sets of lat pull downs. 3 sets of underhand lat pull downs. 3 sets of dumbbell rows. 3 sets of close grips machine rows. 3 sets of T-bar rows. 3 sets of dumbbell pullovers. 3 sets of back extensions. 3 sets of stiff-legged deadlifts.3 sets of barbell curls. 3 sets of alternate dumbbell curls. 3 sets of concentration curls. 3 sets of easy bar curls.

Day 3: 30 minute swim. 3 sets of leg extensions. 3 sets of leg curls. 3 sets of squats. 3 sets of leg presses. 3 sets of machine squats. 3 sets of dumbbell lunges. 3 sets of overhead barbell presses. 3 sets of dumbbell presses. 3 sets of front raises. 3 sets of lateral raises. 3 sets of cable raises.

Etc. etc.

What I’ve described isn’t an uncommon type of routine you may encounter at the gym. And you know what? If you’re a bodybuilder with many years of experience, it may not be a half bad routine. However if you’re just starting out, and have many other commitments such as job or family obligations, then working out for 2 hours a day on a regular basis is probably not going to remain a long term reality. In addition, this routine may lead to overtraining, making you so sore as to ensure that a second masochistic trip to the gym is probably not worth it.

A similar scenario often occurs with diets. No carbs. No fat. 800 calories a day. Eat only one meal a day, drink gross tasting shakes the rest of the time. How many of us can stick to such spartan eating plans? Perhaps in the short term it’s doable (although in some cases not so healthy). However, within a few weeks, those endless plates of nonfat cheese, egg white omelets and alfalfa become a monotonous if not nauseating experience.

A better approach for most beginners is to start with a simplified exercise regimen and diet.

For example, the exercise regimen could consist of:

1. 1 mile fast walk
2. 2 sets of 10 push-ups
3. 2 sets of 10 sit-ups
4. 2 sets of 10 squat thrusts
4. 3 minutes of jumping rope
5. 3 minutes of stretching

Your diet:

1. Avoid sugary foods.
2. Avoid fried foods.
3. Eat 3 more servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily than you currently do
4. Allow yourself one off day a week.

A regimen such as the one above takes much less time to complete and is overall simpler, increasing the chances of long term adherence.

Am I saying that you can’t increase the complexity of your health & fitness routine? Absolutely not. Go wild! But do it slowly, adding small steps that you can stick with.

Another scenario that I encounter is one in which someone has a few months to get into shape – say a college student off for summer vacation. You’re done with school and are gung-ho about embarking on that lengthy and complicated diet and exercise routine you read about in the May copy of whatever fitness magazine you subscribe to (see above). You go all out during the summer and shed the excess fat. Now school is starting again. The school work piles on. You have a part time job. . . and there goes the entire routine. You don’t have 2 hours daily to spend at the gym, so you stop going. And who has time for a complicated, super restrictive diet? So a donut (or 2) with coffee is breakfast, a burger and fries or pizza on the go is lunch, and a repeat of lunch is dinner. Of course let’s not forget about the snacks! Gotta give that brain an endless supply of sugar to help it function at optimal speed so that you can ace that math midterm.

Within a few months, all that weight that was so hard to lose is piled back on (and then some). Had you followed a simple maintenance routine (again, see above), you could have kept the weight off (and your cholesterol down).

- Tamir

This holiday season, don’t forget to move

As you’ll notice in our upcoming book, I am a BIG believer in the power of regular exercise in improving practically every aspect of a person’s life. During the holiday season, it is especially important to not neglect your exercise regimen (or to initiate one if you currently don’t exercise). Although working out is important and relevant throughout the year, unique challenges arise during this time of the year that have the potential to ruin our health.

1. Overeating: As many of you are aware from previous holiday seasons, the constant barrage of fattening, calorically dense foods from family gatherings (e.g. Thanksgiving), office parties, etc. make it quite easy to gain weight. (I have had patients who gained 10 pounds in a little over a month.)

2. Depression and anxiety: For a variety of reasons, some people have a tendency towards becoming depressed and anxious during the holiday season.

3. More time indoors: Because it’s quite cold in many parts of the country (such as here in New York where I live), people tend to spend less time doing active things outside such as running around with the kids in the yard or park, taking walks, riding bicycles, and playing sports.

Exercise is an effective tool to counter all three of the above threats.

By exercising you can burn off calories from some of that extra food you indulged in (although I still recommend coming up with ways to avoid too much overeating – see the previous blog post.

Exercise is also a wonderful way to improve your mood. Many of you can attest to the mental high one gets after a good workout. (However, keep in mind that if you do suffer from depression, anxiety, or any other mental illness, it’s important to involve a health care professional in your care as well.)

Coming up with creative ways to maintain physical activity despite the cold weather is important to offset the fact that you’re spending less active time outside. You can join a gym. You can play sports such as basketball, tennis, or racquetball indoors in many areas. You can go swimming indoors, workout at home, take up winter-type activities such as ice skating or cross country skiing, or you can simply bundle up and still enjoy a power walk outside despite the inclement weather.

Finally – and this is true for all times of year – doing exercise can help relieve a cigarette craving; even a set of some light intensity exercises may help you fight off an urge to smoke. If you’re trying to quit smoking or at least reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke, finding ways to incorporate exercise into your life is especially important.

(Also consult with a doctor about what exercises would be best for you in whatever state of health you’re in, and discuss any concerns such as weak joints, a bad back or high blood pressure.)

- Tamir

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Category Archives: Exercise

Do What You Like

Get up and move!

Keeping it simple

A better approach for most beginners is to start with a simplified exercise regimen and diet.

Am I saying that you can’t increase the complexity of your health & fitness routine? Absolutely not. Go wild! But do it slowly, adding small steps that you can stick with.

This holiday season, don’t forget to move

Exercise is an effective tool to counter all three of the above threats.