Fitness Time
October 25, 2009
Fitness Matters
Expert answers to your health and wellness questions
By George Puvel
Question: I would do almost anything to get a nice 6-pack. Can you give me some tips and hints?
Answer: Absolutely! But first, I can assure you that you can’t get it by doing twelve oz. curls… But seriously, not everyone has this particular goal, but the ones that do seem to be very passionate about it. First of all, you have to do some serious core work, focusing on the abdominals, obliques and low back area. In doing this, most people make one of two mistakes. The first mistake is working these muscles too many days of the week. Some think you need to do abs almost every day, but you wouldn’t do this for chest, back, and legs, so why would you do it for your abdominals? The other common problem is that people don’t push themselves when doing core work. I’ve seen plenty of people stop their set right when they start to feel the “burn.” Others may only use their bodyweight, never thinking that weights might actually challenge them even more. Remember, the harder you work your abdominals, the less you’ll have to do them—and you’ll get better results. Aside from strength training, the other key components to getting a firm, lean mid-section include cardiovascular exercise and, of course, proper diet. You should try to do cardio 5-6 days per week, especially if you have some extra flab to lose, and try to follow a well-balanced, calorie-controlled diet.
Question: With the weather getting colder and flu season almost upon us, can you provide a little refresher on working out when you’re sick?
Answer: There seems to be about as many opinions on this as there exists strains of virus, but here’s my take: You often hear people say that working out is fine if it’s just a head cold—stuffy nose, coughing, and other stuff that you don’t like, but can deal with. This is generally true, but if you have a fever, body aches, or other more serious symptoms, you should leave the exercising to the rest of us until you’re over it. When working out, you probably wouldn’t want people that are sneezing and coughing around you, right?—So, keep that consideration in mind for others if you are under the weather a bit. Plus, if you like to work out with intensity, and put a premium on the quality of your exercise, you’ll do better to rest up for a day or two even if you just have a head cold. Once you’ve recovered and get back to exercising, you can pick-up right where you left off.
Question: Can you tell me the main difference between whole grains and refined grains? What are we really talking about here?
Answer: The main difference between whole grains and refined grains is the way in which they’re processed. During milling, whole grains are often stripped of their bran and germ in an effort to make them easier to cook with. The bran is the protective outer layer of the seed, which contains B vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber, and the germ is the “embryo” of the seed, which contains even more B vitamins, some minerals, healthy fats, and protein. When these are removed, the endosperm (say what?) is all that is left, which is primarily just starch. Despite being enriched with some vitamins and minerals, these refined grains lack much of their original nutritional value. In an effort to provide healthier options, more and more companies are pulverizing the entire grain, resulting in what we call whole grain products. These are healthier for you, but you have to be a savvy shopper. Look for whole grains on the food label—ideally, they should appear at the beginning of the ingredient list.
About the author: George Puvel is the club owner at Anytime Fitness in Thurmont, MD. To submit a question for future articles, please contact the author at ThurmontMD@anytimefitness.com.
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