“Toning shoes”.  I see them on lots of “boomers” feet and I see the ads in some of my health and fitness related magazines.  These shoes are marketed as a great way to tone your lower body while you walk.  Perhaps this is the holy grail of getting shapely legs without doing anything more than walking the dog???

Most of you know, I’m kind of a skeptic about some things (and I’d put toning shoes in as one of those “things”).  I’ve had my doubts about these toning shoes (plus I don’t think they’re all that attractive), but I’ve seen no real proof to back up my doubts.  Lo and behold, now there’s proof!

A recent study done at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse put the shoes to the test.  The research team designed the study to evaluate the exercise responses and muscle activation that takes place while walking with toning shoes versus traditional athletic shoes.  The test subjects were women aged 19-24 (I know, I know, they’re not boomer women—but I suspect they’d see similar results with boomer women!). The toning shoes tested were Skechers Shape-Ups, Masai Barefoot Technology, and Reebok’s Easy Tone.  The “regular” athletic shoes tested were New Balance running shoes.

All three toning shoes tested showed no statistically significant increase in either exercise response or muscle activation during treadmill walking trials.  There was no evidence to indicate the the toning shoes offered any enhanced benefits over traditional sneakers.

Some consumers who have worn these shoes claim that they feel the shoes are working their muscles due to localized muscle soreness after wearing them the first few times.  Study researchers suggest that this feeling is due to the shoe’s unstable sole design, which causes wearers to use slightly different muscles to maintain balance than they would while wearing traditional shoes (I’m not sure that’s a good thing long term).

So, if you’re a boomer gal who owns a pair of toning shoes, should you throw them out?  I’d say—” it depends”.  If the shoes motivate you to get out and walk, they’re probably okay.  If you’re one of my exercisers in my boot camp for women in Willow Glen, I’d ask you to leave them at home.  Not because they don’t do what they advertise, but because they’re so darn clunky. We move in all directions in our workouts, and I’d be afraid you’d trip over your feet!

So, as always, buyer beware.  Just because the ads TELL you a product does something for you doesn’t mean it really does.

We baby boomer women absolutely need to exercise in order to stay fit and maintain our weight, but we don’t need toning shoes to tone our legs.  A good pair of traditional athletic shoes (I like the Brooks Ariel) and some great lower body exercises are what we really need!

Are you a “toning shoe” wearer?  What’s your experience with them?  Not a toning shoe wearer?  What shoe works best for your workouts?  Leave a comment and let’s talk shoes!

Committed to your success,

Becky

Tweet This Post

Yes, we’re getting older.  Yes, there may be a few more aches and pains or pops and creaks in our joints than there were 10 years ago.  Our joints are going to age as the years march on.  But, do we have to settle for getting pudgy and out of shape as we get older?  A lot of us in the boomer generation are doing just that, thinking it’s a natural part of aging,  but I submit to you it doesn’t have to be that way.

At this time in our lives, our hormones will come and go  (okay, admittedly, they’re pretty much “going” at our age!), and this will affect our metabolism, but we can’t blame it all on hormones.  Let’s be honest.  As you sit at your computer reading this, you’re living in the body you’ve EARNED. Good or bad—-you created it.

Although I am a fitness coach for people of all ages, I do have a contingent of Baby Boomer women in a my San Jose personal training practice, and I teach a boot camp for baby boomer women in San Jose as well. While helping Baby Boomer women lose weight, I find it interesting that our generation holds a number of weight loss myths near and dear to our hearts.

Here are my top three weight loss mistakes/myths held by the Baby Boomer generation:

1)    Do more cardio to lose more weight

Now, please don’t get me wrong.  There are a lot of benefits to cardiovascular exercise such as brisk walking, running, cycling, etc.    However, doing MORE cardio to lose more weight may be counterproductive, and there’s a more time efficient way to burn more calories:   Interval training. Interval training gives your body a metabolic boost that lasts hours after your workout is over.  Plus, an interval workout can be shorter than a long, drawn out lower intensity cardio workout, and it will yield better fat loss results for you.

2)    Eat a REALLY LOW calorie diet to lose more weight

Decreasing calorie intake to some obscene level  (it makes me hungry just thinking about it!) is a surefire way to mess up your metabolism and make your body shed muscle in order to survive.  Yes, you need to have a negative energy balance in order to shed body fat—but if you drop your calories too low for too long, your body will compensate by slowing down the rate at which it burns calories.

3)    Avoid strength training for fear of “bulking up”

This one really bugs me.  Most women just don’t have enough testosterone to get big, bulky muscles.  Women who don’t strength train will begin to lose muscle mass as they age and get fatter every year.  Women who DO strength train will have better posture, a higher resting metabolic rate, a leaner physique  as they age.

Are YOU holding on to one or more of the above false beliefs about what it takes to get slim and stay slim in middle age??

If you’re hosting a “spare tire” around your waist right now, and you see yourself in one or more of my “weight loss mistakes”, here’s your chance to bust that myth and start working on creating the “boomer” body you want!

Committed to your success,

Becky

Tweet This Post

I’ve been invited to be a guest on a live teleseminar with Gregory Ann Cox, this Thursday, May 20th, at 1 pm Pacific Time, 4 pm Eastern Standard Time.  Gregory Ann, the woman behind the popular health website, www.midlifewithavengeance.com, is on a mission to reverse the rate of diabetes and heart disease among “boomer” women.

She’s asked me to spend about an hour with her to talk about the ways in which exercise can benefit boomer women, and how many of us have some outdated ideas on the best way to lose weight through exercise. We’ve titled the teleseminar: “The Exercise That Works Best and Fastest To Get and Keep You Fit — and Why”.  Curious??  Come join us!

If you know me at all, you know there will be some myth-busting happening! I always give you the straight scoop.

The teleseminar is free, and you’re sure to learn some great ideas on how to get better weight loss results in LESS time.

You can sign up for the teleseminar here:

ExerciseForMidlifeWomen

Talk to you on the call!

Becky

Tweet This Post

Yes, I know I’m a bit of a broken record when it comes to the concept of interval training.  You hear about the benefits of interval training from me over, and over and over again!

A national news report came out several days ago that essentially said a recent study has found that women who wish to maintain their weight as they age have to exercise at least an hour a day .  Those wishing to lose weight have to do more. Well, gee whiz——that’s encouraging (NOT!).

Okay, so I’m going to rant a little here.   I’m a former researcher.  I’ve designed, coordinated and executed human research studies.  Granted, I worked for NASA, and my studies were based around the space program and advanced life support systems, but my point is this:  One research study doesn’t tell the whole story  AND, you really have to look at the research design and the number of test subjects to get a good feel for what the results indicate, and how they can be extrapolated to the general public.

I’m going to pick on just one little thing with the research design to make my point here, and I’ll be done with my rant.

The women in the study that was quoted in the national news exercised at a moderate pace.  Well, there ya go.

If you want to lose weight, but you choose to  walk on a treadmill at 3.0 miles an  hour (this would most likely be a “moderate”, not too taxing workout for most readers of this blog), then, yes, you’ll need to walk for an hour or so to get a significant dent in your calorie burning for the day.  Same thing for a gentle workout on the stair climber, the elliptical trainer, or walking your dog. The “dent” in calorie utilization you’re making just isn’t that great.  I’m all for any exercise, and there are fabulous benefits to longer, more moderate exercise sessions.  However, if weight loss is your goal— long, moderately paced cardio workouts just aren’t the best method.

Now, I realize that higher intensity training isn’t for everyone, and I’m not advocating that every single workout be a “beat me, whip me” workout!  However, more than one research study has found that interval training lends better fat loss results than shorter, more moderate level workouts.

Here’s why:

-Shorter bursts of high intensity exercise allow you to work out harder (therefore burning more calories) due to the short time frame.

-High intensity interval training has been shown to create a significant post-exercise oxygen consumption. Read:   Your metabolic rate is elevated for several hours after your workout is over (not so with moderately paced workouts).

-Interval training trains your body to utilize fat for fuel more readily.

-Research indicates that interval training elicits hormonal shifts that favor fat utilization during exercise recovery.

-And my personal favorite:  You can (and should) do high intensity interval training for LESS time.

We’re all busy!   I vote for higher intensity and less time

So, please don’t get all in a tizzy about that news report that came out a few days ago.

If you eat a healthy diet that isn’t over-the-top in calories, you should be able to maintain your weight on LESS than 1 hour a day of exercise IF you incorporate some higher intensity workouts into your week.  It’s simply a matter of WHAT you choose to do in the time that you have.

Don’t believe me?  Here are some studies that prove my point:

Gray, AB et al (1993) Endocrine response to intense interval exercise.  European Journal of Applied Physiology/Occupational Physiology 66:366-371.

Haram, PM et al (2008). Aerobic interval training vs. continuous m oderate exercise in the metabolic syndrome of rates artificially selected for low aerobic capacity.  Cardiovascular Research 81:  723-732.

Tabata, I et al (1995).  Metabolic profile of high-intensity intermittent exercises.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 29(3):390-395.

Tremblay A., et al (1994).  Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle.  Metabolism 43:814-818.

Committed to your success,

Becky

Tweet This Post

So often, we say we want to lose weight, tone up or get in better shape—-but we don’t really have a plan to do so, and therefore action never takes place.  I’m not sure who said it, but there’s a quote that goes something like this:  “Fail to plan, plan to fail”.  All too true when it comes to weight loss.

So, what’s a boomer woman who wants to lose weight to do?  Stop talking, and start doing!! Yes, I know–easier said than done!

To move from the talk mode into the action mode, you need a plan.  In my last post and video I told you how writing down your goals was a great first step toward better fitness this year.  A game plan is the second step.

In your game plan, you map out the actions you’ll take to achieve the goals you wrote in step #1.

I made a little video for you explaining how to go about setting up a game plan.

I kid you not when I say that the boomer women who put together a specific game plan are the ones who are achieving higher levels of fitness and better weight loss progress.  This stuff works.

If you need a copy of my goal setting handout, you can grab a copy HERE.

What’s YOUR game plan for making 2010 your fittest, leanest year yet?  Share your plan here at the blog.  Your ideas may just be what another boomer reader needs to get a jump start on her fitness program!

Yours in health,

Becky

Tweet This Post

Okay, boomer gals, it’s the third week in January—-how are those “I’m going to lose weight and get in shape” New Year’s resolutions going?

I’m already starting to see some resolutioners lose focus and fall off the wagon, so I made a little video for you in which I reveal a secret weapon you can use to increase the likelihood you’ll stick with your program this year.

This “secret weapon” is a household item you probably have within 4 feet of you as you read this!  Put it to use as I suggest in the video below—and your resolutions are more likely to come to fruition!

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be filming a few more videos for you to help you get in the best shape of your life.  If you have experienced set backs in your effort to lose weight and improve your health, please leave a comment below.  I’ll try to give you ideas in a future video on how to avoid those set backs this time.

Need accountability in order to stick with your plan?  I’m here for you!

Leave a comment below and let me know what your specific goals are and when you plan to achieve them.  I’m happy to keep you accountable and offer suggestions when I can.

If you’d like to get more focused by using a goal sheet, I’ve made the goal sheet I use for my personal training clients available to you.  Download your goal sheet HERE.

Committed to your success,

Becky

Tweet This Post

Three days ago on June 30th we hit the “half way” point of the year. Geez…..where did the time go?? Half of 2009………gone! Time flies.

I know we’re smack in the middle of summer and many of us can get out of our normal routines and fall off the fitness wagon due vacations, family visits and who knows what else.

However, this “half way” point is a great time to take stock of where you are with regard to your health and fitness. Are you where you want to be weight-wise and health-wise? If not, what have you done (or not done!) in the first half of the year that you need to change in order to improve your health and fitness or drop some body fat? Would you like to be in better shape in December than you are now?

Well then, DO something about it! Don’t wait until the holidays this year to realize you’re still overweight, out of shape and needing to make some massive New Year’s Resolution in January. Take some action NOW. Take some steps right now to improve how you look and feel.

I’ve got a little freebie for you here that can help you focus and re-start your efforts towards feeling and looking better. It’s a page from my soon-to-be-released book, “Ready for Prime Time in Less Time: The Ultimate Get Slim Guide for Boomer Women”.

Remember a few posts ago I talked about that fact that what you focus on grows? Well, my little gift to you today is something I give all my San Jose personal training clients when they start with me. I included it in my book for boomer gals because it’s the best way I know how for getting you to focus on what you DO want! I’m giving it to you here, as it’s my way of nudging you to get focused and take action.

It’s a simple goal sheet that will help you organize your thoughts (what you want) and your actions (what you’ll do to get what you want). If you’re not sure what to do to get what you want, leave a comment here and I’ll do my best to help you!

You can download it by clicking HERE.

Now, get to it! What changes are you going to make in the second half of 2009 in order to arrive at 2010 looking and feeling younger, leaner and more fit????

Leave me a comment below and share with your fellow boomers what you’re going to do!

Committed to your success,

Becky

Tweet This Post

A few months ago, I started something new at my FitCamp for ‘Boomer’ Women here in San Jose. I choose a “theme” for each month. During classes, I mention the theme and how it relates to my campers improving their fitness and getting the results they want from camp. Then it dawned on me……I should be sharing these monthly themes with YOU!. Sometimes I’m a little slow on the uptake.

From now on (or at least until I run out of ideas for themes!), I’ll be sharing my monthly theme with you to give you ideas on how to continue on your path of feeling good and looking terrific.

The theme for June is FOCUS.

I believe that what you focus on grows. I’d like you to focus on what you DO want. Sometimes we tend to focus on what we don’t want (e.g., “I don’t want to be out of shape”, “I don’t want to continue binge eating”). This can be counterproductive. By focusing on what you DO want, you will subconsciously begin to change your behaviors and actions. What you want will be at the “top of your mind”. Remember, what you focus on grows–if you focus on what you want—you’re way more likely to get it!

Change your negative, “don’t want” stuff into positive stuff. For instance, I can take the two negative statements above and change them into positive ones on which to focus:
-I want to be fit and healthy
-I want to work on healthier eating habits

See, that was simple!

What will YOU focus on this month??

Committed to your success,

Becky

Tweet This Post

I believe we’ve learned that weight gain can happen to any of us if we allow ourselves to get lost in the shuffle of life and end up at the bottom of our own priority list.

We’ve learned that even a very wealthy woman who has access to “gurus” of all sorts, “people” to do various things for her to free up her time, and has (or had) a personal trainer and a personal chef at her disposal, still can lose focus and gain weight. It can happen to any of us. Even those of us who appear to “have it all”. We truly are responsible for our own bodies when it comes right down to it.

If you are currently lean and fit–well, it’s because of choices you’ve made. If you’re overweight and out of shape–same story. It’s due to choices you’ve made. The buck stops with you.

I have to hand it to Oprah for the very open, honest and compelling story that she wrote about her situation in the January issue of her magazine. She makes no excuses. She even had a medical problem that certainly must have played a part in some of the weight gain–but she didn’t use it as an excuse and I applaud her for that.

She explains that the weight gain was a slow process. There were medical problems and medication problems that exacerbated the issue. She may not have realized what was really happening as it was happening (perhaps because she was too dang busy getting through the day and paid little attention to her health and well-being!).

Bottom line, as Oprah puts it “I don’t have a weight problem. I have a self-care problem that manifests through weight”.

So, what can boomer women learn from this very public weight gain that Oprah has lived through?

Hmmmm…….perhaps that a little “self care” and “life balance” might need to be on our priority list this year??

I’ll leave you with a quote from Oprah’s article
“….every last one of your choices–from the food you put in your mouth, to the commitments you put on your calendar–moves you toward the life you want”