Ten Best Exercises-#3

pushups. i don't like to do pushups. why? because they are hard for me to do ( i also have carpal tunnel issues) and until i really worked on having a stronger upper body i couldn't even do one! now that has changed. this is a classic ten because, as with the others, you don't really need any equipment, can do it anywhere and it really works. as i have mentioned before, women, especially as we get older lose upper body strength rapidly. don't let this happen! if you can only do one modified pushup that's OK. just start slowly and work your way up. to give you some averages:

• women between 50 and 60 who can do 6-14 pushups are considered to be in the average category, if you can do 15-29 that is good and above 29 is considered excellent
• if you are in your 40's then above 34 is excellent
• if you are over 60 then over 19 is excellent

again form counts. your head should remain in a neutral position, ie. inline with your spine. your feet should be about hip width apart. if you are just beginning and need more stability spread your feet further apart or do a modified pushup with your knees on the floor. hands are slightly outside of your shoulders with an open palm and spread fingers. keep your body straight with your abs pulled in while lowering yourself almost to the floor, pause and come back up.
there are many variations to this basic pushup such as doing it on an incline or decline. if  you are ready for a challenge place your hands on a stability ball while doing a pushup and that alone will make your arms work 30% harder than if you were doing it on the floor.
whether it is carrying groceries or water for the garden i notice the difference in my upper body strength and it feels good. think about the activities that you usually do and how many would be helped by being stronger. and by the way-happy summer!

Perform Better (Breakfast)

just returned from the 2014 perform better functional training conference which was sold out, very well done and inspiring. although there was only one presentation on nutrition  (by dr. christopher mohr) my thoughts on having a better breakfast were validated (see my post from 4/8). besides eating a healthy breakfast he also talked about getting more protein into that meal-ideally 1/3 of your daily protein requirement. it might just be that by making this one adjustment to your diet you will consume fewer calories during the day and that will, over time, result in -you guessed it -weight loss!

so consider making your better breakfast even better by including more protein. even if you are not concerned about weight loss having your protein balanced throughout the day is a better option than what most americans do which is to overload on protein at dinner with hardly any at breakfast and only slightly more at lunch. i realize that part of the reason for this is the rush to get going in the morning when it is easier to just eat on the run or do fast food. but even if your time is limited there are always healthier choices-shakes can be made the night before, low sugar protein bars, hard boiled eggs. even trader joe's has  frozen oatmeal with quinoa that just gets popped into the microwave. better choices create better health and more energy throughout the day. most people know this but why aren't they doing it? do you?

Yacon Syrup-Too Good to be True?

i learned of yacon syrup last fall and when i went to order some it was already sold out and this was even before dr. oz featured it on his show! is it  a weight loss aid and more? but first, what is it? yacon  is a tuber, looks like a sweet potato, is grown in the andes and the syrup made from it is used as a sweetener. some compare the taste to molasses, raisins or figs. it is lower in calories than most sweeteners-having 20 per tablespoon, contains prebiotics and fiber so sounds pretty good although taking too much can cause intestinal distress. yacon contains FRUCTOOLIGOSACCHARIDES-wow! our gut bacteria like this stuff. when we consume it  the taste is sweet but our body doesn't recognize it as "food" so it passes right through-that's partly how it works.

if you want to try it start with a small amount such as one teaspoon an hour before meals. you cannot bake with it. make sure you get 100% yacon syrup with no additives.

 at this time there is very little actual research and only one study that supports weight loss claims. it may have real benefits but it is too soon to tell. if history teaches us anything about so called magic pills or foods for weight loss we should all know by now that there is no such thing*-just eat less and move more!

*unless you count having your stomach stapled as magic

10 Best Exercises, cont.

how many times, everyday, do we sit and stand or bend and lift? these are movements of everyday living and the squat is the exercise that strengthens the muscles used during these movements.  so the squat is my number 2 classic best exercise. no other equipment is needed to do squats although there are many variations-isometric, TRX, single leg, etc. that do incorporate such items as weights or bands.
the squat works your lower body and core. some of the variations can turn it into a full body exercise.

stand with your arms either by your sides or straight out in front at shoulder height.* feet should be shoulder width apart and pointing straight or at a slight outward angle. brace (engage) your core and lower your body down by moving your hips backwards, bending your knees until your thighs are about parallel to the floor. pause then come back up pushing through your heels. repeat. pretty straightforward but there are a few don'ts:

• don't let your knees go in front of your feet
• don't lock your knees
• don't round your lower back
• don't lower your arms-keep them at shoulder height 
• don't lean too far forward-if you feel your weight on the balls of your feet then your are too far forward

by doing squats you are working your quads, hamstrings and glutes-the major muscles we need to keep strong as we get older. we have all known people of a certain age that can no longer get up from a chair without help. in the future i don't want you to be one of those people and by doing squats along with other exercises you won't be.

*always remember to warm up before starting any exercise