Kick the Crunch?

In light of a recent article that was published in the Gazette a few months ago, I've gotten many inquiries as to whether or not the crunch is safe to do.

I won't get into the article too much, but basically it suggests that all crunch (trunk flexion) exercises are harmful to the lower back and should no longer be practiced.

One of the most interesting things about my profession is the "in" factor. Body building was "in" in the 60's with the introduction of Nautilus (of course primarily practiced by men). The 80's brought us Aerobics only to be pushed aside by indoor group cycling in the 90's.
Of course I don't have to tell you that pilates, yoga and kickboxing are the total "in" right now.

The same "in" factor applies to exercises as well. 15 years ago we were told that situps and ballistic type stretching were harmful and should absolutely be avoided. And now they are back.

So when should we listen to what? It's simple really. All you have to do is use your common sense. Why would crunches be harmful to our backs when one of the primary actions of the abdominals muscles is to do just that? When you get out of bed or go from a lying to seated position, do you not perform a crunch type movement?

Now hold on... Let's not forget to point out the other side of this type of reasoning. There are many different scenarios where crunches would be contraindicated as in the case of an abdominal hernia, separated abdominal muscles or a low back condition to name a few. You have to listen to your body even if you are working with a trainer.

Always remember that there are endless ways to work a particular muscle. And if something doesn't feel right, then you should probably stop doing it. A knowledgeable trainer should easily find an alternative for you that is safe.

The verdict? Although not the most efficient way of getting that six-pack, crunches are not evil.
-Sherry Shaban BSc, CAT(C), CSCS

5 Tips To Losing Pregnancy Weight Gain Fast

1. Start by making a reasonable goal for yourself.  Sure you put on more weight than expected, but remember that it took 9 months to put it on.  A reasonable weight loss goal is 10 pounds per month.
2. Plan each day to include a brisk 60 minute walk with baby.  Yes, window shopping counts.  The mall is actually a pretty good option in the cold Canadian months.
3. Strap baby in a baby carrier while doing house hold chores.  Lugging around that extra 10+ pound weight for a few hours will turn those daunting tasks into a cardio workout.  (Plus the humming of the vacuum cleaner will knock baby right out).
4. Limit yourself to only one "cheat day" per week.  That's right, time to kick all those new habits you've picked up over the last several months.  Take a daily multivitamin, drink at least 6 glasses of water every day, and reserve your favorite dessert or fried food to just one anticipated day per week.
5. Join a Mamma and Baby Fitness class as soon as your doctor gives you the OK to train.  This is probably the best way to reintroduce yourself to regular exercise (or take it up for the first time if you are beginner.)  Not to mention, you will be surrounded by new mothers who share similar goals such as yours.  However, I recommend using this class for no longer than 2 or 3 months and then start a fitness regimen that is more intense, productive and closely catered to your fitness goals.
 -Sherry Shaban, BSc, CAT(C), CSCS

To Tabata or not to Tabata: The Pros and Cons of the Tabata High-Intensity Interval Method

We can all easily picture a 1980s aerobics instructor wearing bright pink neon leotards and a matching headband, stepping to moderate tempo pop music, yelling "feel the burn" in the microphone. The trends in fitness have always been present and it is easy to get caught up in the popular exercise crazes of the times. So what is a "fitness fad" and does it really work? Well... gone are the days of low-impact "fat burning zone" aerobics, and welcome to the era of high-intensity high-impact workouts! In this new century of ultra-busy schedules and overworked yet health-conscious employees, time is of the essence! The push for a more convenient and efficient way to increase physical performance has inspired Japanese researchers (more specifically Dr. Izumi Tabata) to come up with a 4 minute workout that will burn more fat than a 1 hour low-impact aerobics class! A revolution in fitness for anyone who has ever said: "I don't have time to workout!"  No more excuses, my busy friends, and here is why:

The Tabata method began to evolve in the mid-1990s. The research compared continuous cardiovascular exercise for 60 minutes at 70% VO2max 5 days a week for 6 weeks, to Tabata's interval set (2:1 work-to-rest ratio). These involve 20 seconds of very intense exercise (170% VO2 max) followed by 10 sec passive rest. This is repeated 8 times for a total of 4 minutes. This 4 minute workout was performed by subjects 5 days a week for a total of 6 weeks. The results??  The intense Tabata workout will increase both your aerobic and anaerobic capacities at a higher rate than steady-state exercise: and in 1/15^th the amount of time!!

So what's the catch? Traditionally, training programs have always been designed around the mentality that lower intensity steady-state exercise consumed more fat calories than carbs, and training at higher intensities burned more carbohydrate calories. However, it has been shown that the higher intensities will not only increase your maximal oxygen uptake (cardiovascular capacity) but it will also burn more calories per minute than lower intensity work. And since it requires 3500kcal expended in order to lose 1 pound of body fat, it is easy to deduce that high intensity intervals will be the more efficient method! This has been the evolving trend in fitness over the past decade with the apparition of popular classes such as boot camps, Crossfit training, Spinning, Fitness Kickboxing etc...So how is Tabata different? Well, Tabata training has been shown to improve aerobic capacity by 14%, anaerobic capacity  by 28% and burns up to 50% more fat than continuous cardiovascular exercise (at 70% VO2, which only improved aerobic capacity by 9.5% and had no effect on anaerobic). Also when compared to other high intensity methods, Tabata manages to increase both aerobic and anaerobic capabilities in an athlete, which is a rare feature for any training method. (A little clarification: aerobic capacity is the endurance abilities to persevere over a long period of time, and anaerobic capacity is the ability to sprint powerfully over a short period of time).  Also advantageous is the body's increased metabolism following a Tabata training: this means that your body will continue to burn higher levels of calories for hours after the workout!

Is it too good to be true? A word of caution about this amazing regime: IT IS VERY HARD! This was designed for Olympic-level athletes (Dr Tabata worked with elite speed skaters) and it was made to gain fast results but at a higher risk of injury. Before attempting a Tabata training, please consult with a physician to pass a physical exam (keep in mind you will be working at 170% of your max, so attempting this style of exercise is not to be taken lightly!) No one with an underlying cardiac, pulmonary or metabolic condition should undertake this protocol. This is not recommended if you are obese, have high blood pressure, or have other major health problems. Keep in mind, the risk of injury is higher since the impact and speed of work is quite elevated. If you have low-back problems, or chronic joint pain, this might not be the best technique for you!

          So you still want to try Tabata?? Here are a few quick guidelines: be sure to warm-up adequately with at least 5 minutes or light aerobic exercise, 5 minutes of dynamic movements (active stretches) and 5 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise to raise the heart rate and blood pressure in preparation for the set.  The 20 second work intervals should be performed using large muscle groups, so the exercises can include:

-punching bag

-skipping (fast)

-sprinting

-burpees

-kettle bell swings

-clap push-ups

-box jumps

-and many, many more!

Perform 7-8 rounds of 20 seconds with 10 seconds rest in between. Take at least 3 minutes passive rest after 4 minutes, and repeat if you still have the stomach for it!

So if you're feeling bold and ready for a new challenge, why not ask your trainer about Tabata training? The key to successful training regimen is to keep it fresh and interesting: always switch things up to stay motivated and passionate about your training. If you find yourself getting bored with the gym, it's time to get a trainer and boost your fitness!!

Good luck!

-Marie-Soleil Harvey BSc., CSEP-CPT

References:

http://www.thebodygenesis.com/tabata-training-the-ultimate-guide/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8897392?dopt=Abstract (Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and VO2max. Dr Izumi Tabata. Med Sci Sport Exerc OCT 1996)

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1608/is_5_20/ai_n6011850/

 

The Cup of Life: Which Athletic Supporter is Right for You?

Don't you find it interesting how so many stores cater to the comfort and support of women's breasts?  So many different bras exist to push up, push down and lock in place these breasts of ours in order to maximize our comfort when we jump, hop, run and yoga.  In fact, there exists no reservations when it comes to asking the sales person for some supportive help in the chest area, is there?
So how come when it comes to their most prized possessions, men don't do the same?  They're always talking and thinking about their "jewels," why not protect them?
Men are actually recommended to wear an athletic supporter if involved in any type of exercise.  A man's testes hang in place with very delicate cord and muscle tissue that are easily susceptible to sprain and strain injuries.  Recovery from these types of injuries are slow and agonizing.  Hopefully some of these tips will make choosing the right supporter a lot easier.
1. What type of sport is it?
If a speeding projectile is involved (such as hockey, football, soccer, baseball, and rugby), a hard cup must be worn.  Basic supporters (without a cup) should be worm for any running sports such as track and field, jogging, and basketball. If you're not big on wearing a jock strap while running, check out if the jock brief is more comfortable.  It's a brief with a built in athletic supporter.
2. Sizing.
Just as a helmet's protective capabilities are reduced if not properly fitted, so is an athletic supporter. The fit must be snug yet comfortable.  Unlike women's bras, jock straps do not come in cup sizes.  Sizing actually relates to waist size (sorry, guys.)  But if it feels too snug, then a larger waist size is recommended.  However, it is important that you get the waist fitted down if it causes the supporter to roll or twist.  The leg straps should also be tight enough to prevent movement and should fit the natural contours of the body.
And just as women do, if it still doesn't fit right, choose a different brand.

Sherry Shaban, BSc, CAT(C), CSCS

Our Therapy Goes A Long Way - All the Way to Florida

Dear Sherry,

I am emailing this morning to thank you for the exceptional work your company, via Marie-Soleil, has done for my 2 boys. Thanks to your company Eric, who has suffered from acute Severs for more then 4 years, spent a lot of time at doctors, months of double leg casts is now free of any pain.
The 2 months of outdoor physical therapy with Marie-Soleil targeting the areas of pain really paid off. After almost 4 months since the last therapy session with Marie-Soleil, he is still pain free. William, who is also suffering from Severs but a milder condition, is also pain free. They both run and walk like normal kids.
Last year Eric did not attend PE classes at school because of the pain. He did music classes instead. He wanted to be with his friends in PE and run like all the other little boys but could not, how sad.... This year, he is in PE class and is enjoying every minute of it PAIN FREE.

The services your company offers are better then I imagined. The care Marie-Soleil took with my boys was very personal as if Eric and William were her own kids. They loved her and loved working out with her even if, at times, she was pushing them hard. I believe the boys would not be in this position today have I not found your web site and hired the services of your firm.

Did Marie-Soleil use better techniques?, did she make them work harder?, was it the fact that she made it super fun and they gave it their all? We will never know why Florida PT did not work but I can tell you that Marie-Soleil's PT did. I really wish I had Be.Training in Florida !! I am a fan. I can't say enough about you guys....
Keep up the good work and I hope other parents that have children with this condition or any other conditions find your web site. The physical Therapy is great, flexible and very very affordable. Thank you Be.Training, you have made a fabulous impact in my children's life.
Be.Training gave them back their quality of life! and that is priceless.... Improvement is not the word.. Miracle is.

Marie-Eve Delorme-Kroener

COLD AND FLU SEASON - WHEN TO TRAIN AND WHEN TO DITCH?

This blog post is very much inspired by my own personal health and wellbeing over the last month and a half.  After having lazer eye surgery in the end of October, I was unable to exercise for a few weeks.  This was rough to handle, but seeing as I couldn't really see very well anway, I was probably doing the public a favor.
My vision had started to improve by mid-November when I got hit by a nasty cold and a 48-hour gastro the following week.  (What are the chances?)  But my bag and gloves were calling my name.
Let's face it.  Cold and flu season is upon us.  Although I wash my hands like crazy, my kids are highly charged germ magnets.  It's pretty hard to avoid a bug at times, but that shouldn't mean that you have to throw your training out the window.
Here are some conditions during which exercise should be entirely avoided:

1) Fever. You should never exercise if you have a fever.  Exercise naturally increases your body temperature by a degree or two (depending on how hard you are training).  A fever coupled with exercise can actually cause a heat related illness, such as a heat stroke.  Drink plenty of fluids and get some rest instead as your body is working hard to fight something.
2. Vomiting, diarrhea or nausea.  Due to fluid loss with vomiting and diarrhea, you are at risk of severe dehydration if you exercise.  Drink plenty of fluids and Gatorade and get some rest instead.
3. If you have a cough.  Lung capactiy is decreased as a result of a cough. Since exercise demands an increased respiration rate and oxygen consumption, it can make breathing very difficult.  If you have a persistent cough, you should see your doctor. (Even if it is a 3-hour wait.)

Anything else you're wondering about?

Sherry Shaban, BSc, CAT(C), CSCS

Make Your Fitness Goals Stick in 2011 - Why You Keep Failing

The count down to the New Year has begun.  2011 already?!  You've put on a few pounds - hey, it's the Holidays.  Besides, you've set your New Year's Resolution and 2011 will be the year that you get in the best shape of your life.  In fact it's the same resolution that you had set for yourself in 2010, 2009, and now that you've thought about it, the 3 years before that. It's mid-December and you have 2 more weeks of binge eating before you have to assess and resolve the damage. How about doing it different this year?

Why is overindulgence always the theme for this time of year?  Why do we work out and eat clean all year long only to let things go as soon as the first flurries start to fall?  Sure, celebrating is fun.  Sure, you deserve it.  But why over do it? It will only make your fitness and wellness resolutions that much harder to kick-start.
Every year you set high hopes - very high hopes, might I add- that you will turn your life around in a matter of months, lose weight, get fit, ripped and pumped, take up a new sport, and perhaps even become an ultra marathoner.  Hey, I am the ultimate over achiever, but what I can say is this: be realistic! The more realistic your goals are, the the more likely you are to accomplish them.
So here are some tips that you can use to rework your goals.  After all, it takes months (if not years) to learn a new sport or become an ultra marathoner.

1. Make sure your goals are attainable.  Analyze all surrounding life factors and make sure your goals are actually doable.
2. Quantify your goals.  Don't just decide that you will lose weight. Set a goal to lose 12 pounds, for example.
3. Give yourself a realistic deadline.  For example, by the end of March you plan to lose 6 of those 12 pounds and by the end of April you plan to lose another 2 pounds.
4. Make sure your goals are safe.  Don't risk your health by starving yourself, taking  pills, or going on a fad diet.  If it's too good to be true, it is! Permanent results come only from permanent life style changes.
5. Educate yourself. Using a meal or exercise plan that you found online is not customized to your needs.

Besides, you could risk injuring yourself doing exercises that were not intended for you.  Hire a certified trainer and nutritional consultant who will provide you with a wealth of fitness information and properly introduce you to a sustainable, life-lasting wellness regimen.
Here's to the happier, fitter 2011-version of you.  Cheers!

Sherry Shaban BSc, CAT(C), CSCS

Quick and Simple Quinoa

You've heard about all of its health benefits.  Still not sure what to do with quinoa?  This salad goes great with grilled salmon or chicken.

Follow the directions on the package to make 1 cup cooked quinoa.  Once its cooked and cooled down, add 1 cup chopped cucumber, 1 cup chopped cherry tomotoes, 2 chopped shallots and 2 tbsps olive oil and baslamic vinegar.

Have you met Kefir?

No, we are not talking about the popular, and curiously sexy star of the hit series 24.  Sorry folks, we are talking today about fermented milk.

If you haven't heard about kefir, then keep reading!  Originating in Persia and Russia, this powerful, fermented super drink is made by adding live kefir grains to milk.  The result is a deliciously sour, effervescent, creamy beverage that you can either drink alone or pour over some granola. Yum!
Kefir, is most widely known for it high probiotic content.  (Just a little FYI, probiotics are healthy, beneficial bacteria that help regulate the biochemistry of our digestive tracts.  And by the way, probiotics are actually present in all fermented dairy products, such as yogurt, and not only in the ones that say so on the packaging.)
Kefir is such an excellent source of these healthy microorganisms that 1 tsp per day is all that is needed to keep a healthy level in our digestive tracts.
Aside from also being an excellent source of  protein, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and B vitamins, some other reports on the health benefits of kefir include:

• antibiotic and antifungal properties.
• alleviating common digestive problems such as gas, bloating, and indigestion
• ensuring regular bowel movement
• providing an alternative dairy product for individuals with lactose intolerance
• and possibly reducing the risk for certain cancers including colon cancer

So give kefir a try.  I usually find it in the either the dairy or health food section of most grocery stores.  It has become a very essential item on my grocery list.  Just be sure to avoid the kind with all the added flavor and sugar. Sort of defeats the purpose, right?

Sherry Shaban

How to Save a Life: CPR is Easier Than You Think

As part of my duties as a certified athletic therapist, I am required to be up to date on my Sports First Responder certification.  Although quite time consuming, it's actually quite beneficial as you realize just how much of your emergency care management skills need some tuning up.

Going a lot further than your basic CPR course, the Sports First Responder certification puts you in a situation where you are able to perform CPR, manage an airway, use a defibrillator, manage choking, administer oxygen and an epi-pen, treat a patient for shock, manage a stroke or cardiac infarction, control and manage a severe bleed, burn or fracture, and immobilize and board a person with a suspected spinal on to a spinal board while reducing further injury.  Your Be Training specialist is a Sports First Responder.

The actual inspiration behind this blog entry  has to do with this very disturbing fact.  I had asked Gary, one of the EMTs giving the course, how many times he had to use a defibrillator in his 30 year career and how many people he managed to save with it.

His answer was that he had used it maybe 300 or 400 times and saved only about 5 or 6 people.  The only reason there was such a low rate of survival was because during the time that people waited for the ambulance, nothing was being done for the patient.  After 20 minutes of cardiac arrest and oxygen deprivation, it is pretty hard for a person to be resuscitated successfully.

So I will leave you with this.  Even if you don't know CPR, just do something - anything - while waiting for the ambulance.  Here are a few very basic tips for those who need a refresher (as I did) and for those who are new to CPR:

• You administer CPR when you have a choking victim that became unconscious or you have a victim who does not have a pulse (heart beat).  Practice finding your pulse either at your neck (right below the jaw) or at your wrist (right where your thumb starts).  Use your friends for practice as well that way you know what you're looking for in a real situation.

• To check for breathing, just bring your cheek close to the victim's face and look for a raise and fall in his chest.

• Place one hand on top of the other on the patient's chest right between the nipple line, keep your elbows locked and use your body to compress the person's chest at least 2 inches deep.  Perform 30 compressions.  The rhythm should be about 1 compression per second.  Or just hum and follow the beat: "Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Stayin' alive, stayin' alive, oh oh oh oh oh stayin' alive, stayin' alive..."

• Next, you give 2 breaths.  Place one hand on the victim's forehead and the other hand on the his chin.  Tilt the head back while opening his mouth.  While giving the breaths make sure to see that the victim's chest is rising with each breath.  Caution!! You are not blowing up a balloon.  Breathe slowly, into the person's mouth for just a couple of seconds.

• Continue with your 30 compressions, and again give 2 breaths.

• Do this for 5 minutes and check the pulse again.  If it is absent, switch with somebody if you have help. But continue on for another 5 minutes cycle before checking the pulse again. 

• Stop if the victim wakes up.

• If you find a pulse and the breathing returns, roll the person over onto their left side with their head resting on their left arm.

• Hopefully the ambulance has arrived by that time.

 Doing something is better than nothing at all.

- Sherry Shaban

Be. Green.

Be green.

There's nothing like a 3 week trip to Japan to make you realize just how wasteful and careless our society is with our side of the planet.  We've finally caught on to the whole "Green Movement" but for some reason it seems like we are only trying to use it to make even more money.  Supposedly greener cars, grocery bags, and paints?  Is a clean environment even on the agenda?

We live in a little bubble of wastefulness that we call North America.  We eat too much beef and poultry.  We rely too much on the WalMart's of our society to give us the best deal, regardless of the consequence, just so that we can buy more of the things that we don't need.  We take up so much space and do everything on such a large scale.  Our cars, our groceries, and carbon footprint.

Two weeks later, back in Montreal, my life here will never be the same.  As I follow the disaster that has hit Japan merely a day after I left, I am relieved with the belief that if any one nation can come out of such a tragedy with the greatest degree of efficiency, it most definitely is Japan.  (And no, they are not using these nuclear reactors to create weapons of mass destruction - I couldn't believe this comment when I heard it last week).

So I'll be doing my part. The Green Movement to me will not just be about buying green products. It will be about sustainability.  I will be buying less, and making the most of what I already have.  Isn't that what we mean anyway when we say: reduce, reuse, recycle?

Sherry Shaban

Mr and Mrs S

I love what I do.  I love what I do because as a scientist, therapist and strength and conditioning specialist, I have the type of job that creates a perfect balance between the three.  I love my job because every day is a new challenge.  I love my job because every day I get to meet new incredible people. Montreal is LOADED with the coolest people!

But most of all, I love my job because I get to see first hand just how much impact my profession creates in a person's life.  This is a little story about Mr and Mrs S.  Not quite sure how they'd feel knowing that I am blogging about them, so let's just call them that.

I met the "S"'s nearly 4 years ago (I can't believe it's been that long) when their daughters were finding a way for them to become more active without the whole gym-environment-thing. 

When we first started working together, a mere squat was quite a challenge.  But they were determined, stubborn and more motivated than I had ever seen before.  In a matter of 6 months, Mr "S" was chugging through sets of ballistic push ups without a huff or a puff, while Mrs. "S"'s balance and propioception during her one-legged dead lifts desperately needed the attention of a camera.  Did I mention that the "S"'s are in their sixty-somethings?

They took their training programs with them on every vacation and family trip and stuck to their exercise like it was white on rice.

In early February they kicked me out (only kidding!) for a few months while renovating their basement.

Clearly I started this blog talking about how the thing I love most about my job is seeing the impact of fitness in a person's life, right?  Well, 3 months later, the "S"'s have done a wicked job to their basement incorporating a well designed and carefully planned out training studio.  The "S"'s have actually gone so far as to equip the studio with shock absorbing floors and pocket doors to close it off from the rest of the room.  (Nice job with the decor, J)  Although it was a joke, I have to say that I was touched to see the Be Training logo sitting in a frame on the window sill. 

I have no doubt in my mind, that with or without my guidance, the "S"'s journey to fitness will continue.  I hope this little story has inspired you as much as it has me.


Sherry Shaban