fitness0305

Dear Mirabai
I'm 33 and inactive-I hate to exercise but I know I should. So, if you have any good ideas of how to get started, I'm ready.

Dear Ready,
We hate to exercise because it feels too much like work. The key is to find something you really like or at least something that you don't hate.
Be sure to check your general health with your doctor first.
Why not start by turning on the radio or a cd of some music you like to move to and dance around for a few minutes a day. Or try a beginners' aerobics video or maybe brisk walking, with a friend. Making exercise a social event helps you keep on track. Start with a few minutes and build up. The time flies by and you feel better every day. Before you know it you'll be doing at least 30 minutes a day and exercise will become a pleasure not a chore.
You'll feel so good you'll want to bike, swim, jog, weight train, stretch and maybe even take a course in astrophysics or something. You won't believe it until it happens; human nature but just keep it up and it will.

Dear Mirabai,
I'm 51 with a family history of osteoporosis. My bone density test just came back low. My doctor says I have osteopenia and I should take calcium supplements and exercise. What kind of exercise should I do?
Signed,
Skinny bones

Dear Skinny Bones,
Weight bearing exercise like walking and lifting weights can help maintain bone mass and even increase it. The process is called bone loading.
Studies with tennis players show that by whackin' a ball back and forth day after day, the bones in the racquet arm became stronger and more dense than the bones in the non-racquet arm.
The three areas most at risk for osteoporotic fracture are the spine, the thighbone at the hip and the wrist.
Here are some exercises you can do at home to get you started.

For your spine:
Get a towel and extend your arms overhead pulling the ends of the towel slightly bending your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Hold for ten seconds and repeat up to 6 times.
You can get yourself one of those big backpack purses and try walking around with that. Hold your abs in and keep an erect posture. This helps to strengthen the muscles that hold the spine in alignment.

For your hips:
Hold on to a chair or wall and while standing on one leg lift your other leg straight in front of you slowly up, then down 10-15 times. Then switch.
It's a double bone loading whammy for both the leg you are standing on and the leg you are lifting.
For your wrists, use hand weights or go to your pantry and grab some cans. They weigh about a pound a piece. Hold your arms bent at right angles at the elbows palms up and using only your wrists, curl the cans up toward you and then back down. Repeat 8-15 times. Then hold the cans palm down and curl them up away from your body then down. Repeat 8-15 times.
If you do these exercises every other day, you might just have the best bones in your neighborhood.

Dear Mirabai
I'm 26 and I'm carrying about 10 extra pounds around my middle. I've got 12 weeks to get into my wedding dress. I would hate to have to go out and buy a bigger size. Is there anything I can do to get rid of this belly by then?
Signed, Jen.

Dear Jen;
Believe it or not this is an easy one. If you lose a pound a week, you'll still have 2 weeks to spare, just in case you get a little hungry.
So, here's a formula for losing the weight and toning up at the same time.
One pound = 3500 calories. So to lose one pound a week eliminate 500 calories each day (500 X 7 days = 3500 calories)
Eat 300 calories less, and do one half hour to one hour of aerobic exercise, like brisk walking, to burn the other 200. You might want to write down everything you eat for the next 3 days or so to help you figure out what you can do without. Or, simply cut your portions in half.

As for exercise, you don't have to do the whole workout at once. Three 10 minute walks are just as effective as one half hour walk. You should also do some ab crunches about 20 a day to help tone up that belly as you lose weight. And, exercise actually picks up your metabolic rate so you burn more calories even after you've finished exercising.
Now, just try not to trip on your way up the aisle.

Send your Ask Mirabai questions to: exercise@movingfree.com
Mirabai Holland M.F.A. is one of the leading authorities in the Health & Fitness industry, and public health activist who specializing in preventive and rehabilitative exercise for women. Her Moving Free™ approach to exercise is designed to provide a movement experience so pleasant it doesn't feel like work. For more information www.movingfree.com

'What Exactly Is Good Nutrition?
by Beverley Brooke

Secretly we all want just a few things in life, none the least of which is to live a life that is healthy and energetic. One way to accomplish this is to eat a well balanced diet that fuels the body to take on life's challenges.

Did you know that one of the best things you can do to improve your overall health and well being is to eat a diet that is well rounded and nutritious?

Diet can make the difference between feeling great and feeling just o.k. But how do you know which foods will propel you to health and well being?

Proper nutrition is easy. In fact, all you need to do to ensure your health and well being is follow five simple steps, outlined below.

Top Five Tips for Maintaining Optimal Nutrition

    * Eat a well balanced diet. This means you have to incorporate foods from each of the four food groups.

    * Adopt the phrase moderation. At no time should you consider some foods 'bad' and other foods 'good'. Rather, all foods can be nourishing if they are eaten in moderation. Chocolate cake will not make you fat if you don't eat it every day for dinner!

    * Take a multi-vitamin. Even the healthiest dieter may not get all of the vitamins and nutrients they need from diet alone. Why? Our bodies aren't always able to absorb nutrients efficiently from the foods we eat. Thus it is important to take a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement daily.

    * Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can wreak havoc on your diet, and even contribute to weight gain.

    * Exercise daily. Even 10 minutes of routine exercise can help your body maintain its peak fitness level.

Excessive consumption of alcohol can also wreak havoc on your diet. Alcohol inhibits the body's ability to absorb vital nutrients, such as calcium. In addition, alcohol in the evening can interfere with your sleep cycle.

Other things you can do to improve you nutrition include incorporating lean proteins and fish into your diet. Fatty fishes including salmon provide key nutrients called "essential fatty acids which help your brains abilityto function properly.

Nutrition is a choice. For you to be the healthiest person you can be, it is vital that you make choices that are good for you and your well being. Adopting just a couple of the strategies above will help you tremendously on your journey toward optimal health.

About The Author
Beverley Brooke, Editor of Health & Finesse - Free health, diet and fitness articles and weekly newsletters http://www.healthandfinesse.com.

beverley.brooke@healthandfinesse.com