“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

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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

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It’s Spring Break time in schools around the nation.  If you’ve got kids or grandkids, that could mean there may be a vacation in your future. Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean your workout has to go to “you-know-where” in a hand basket.

I recently took a trip to Mexico with my husband and we were able to get in short, intense workouts the majority of the days we were there.  We did the “intense” thing because we didn’t want to spend lots of time in the gym.  We got in the gym, worked hard, and got out quickly so that we could enjoy the rest of our day.  The shorter your time frame, the higher the intensity should be.

We specifically chose a hotel that had a gym, but I was intent on creating a video of a workout for you that doesn’t require a gym.  Although I do the workout on a tennis court, you could do it anywhere you can find some lines (a basketball court, a football field).

If you’re a tennis player, you’re in for a treat because the workout I’m demonstrating in the video here can help improve your game.  The drills I do not only burn calories and can act as “interval training” for you, they will also develop better foot work and agility on the tennis court if you practice them regularly.

When I make videos for you at home, my  dog, Noah, often makes a cameo appearance.  I didn’t have Noah on vacation with me, but you’ll never guess what walked across the path right as I was about to begin shooting the video for you!  I guess I’m just destined to have animal sidekicks in all my videos .

So, if you’re short on time and on location try this workout on for size.

Happy Spring!

Committed to your success,

Becky

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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

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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

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Want to look younger?  Stand taller!

Next to wrinkles and being overweight, nothing ages us more than poor posture!  Many of us sit a lot during the day, often in front of a computer.  This shortens our chest muscles, brings our shoulders and head forward and rounds our upper back.  Yuck.

Although training and strengthening your postural muscles will do wonders for your posture and your appearance, so will training your brain!  Simply being mindful of pulling your shoulder blades down and back on your ribs, and lifting your chin and chest can make a huge difference.   Part of creating better posture is being aware of yours at all times.

I’ve put together for you four exercises that will help you strengthen muscles responsible for holding your body in proper posture. The exercises I’ve listed are not an exhaustive list of exercises you could do to improve your posture.  However, they’re a great start, and should be a part of a full body strength training program.  If you add these exercises into your workout, you will see and feel the difference!

Wall squat with shoulder blade squeeze

Starting Position:  Lean against a wall with your feet about 18 inches from the wall. Place your rear end, your shoulders and your head on the wall.   Slide down the wall a bit so that your knees are slightly bent and you’re in a semi-squat position. Put your arms up over your head in a “V” position as pictured

Action: Hold your semi-squat position as you squeeze your shoulder blades and bring your hands down to the level of your ears.  Try to keep as much of your arms on the wall as you can.

Add it into your routine this way: Perform one set of 10-12 repetitions and build up to 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions.

Straight arm pull back

Starting Position:  Loop exercise tubing around a pole, post or sturdy tree (you can also use an adjustable pulley system at a gym).  Put arms in front of you, palms down.  Step away from the pole until the band is just getting tense.

Action: With straight arms, pull the band back until your hands are just behind your rear.

Be sure to: Keep your arms straight and your abs braced.  Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull your arms back.

Add it into your routine this way: Perform one set of 10-12 repetitions.  Work up to 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions.

Prone Back Extensions

Starting Position:  Lie face down on a mat with your arms folded and your head resting on your arms

Action: Simultaneously lift your feet and your shoulders off the ground

Be sure to: Take care not to over-arch your back .  If this bothers your low back, try this just with the shoulders off the ground.  You can put the “feet up” part of the exercise back into your program a little later on.

Add it into your routine this way: Perform one set of 10-12 repetitions and work up to 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions over time.

Good posture requires strong abdominal muscles, so a good posture improvement program should involve something for the abs.  You’ve seen “the plank”, one of my favorite core conditioning exercises, described in an earlier post about core conditioning for baby boomers, but I’ll show you again here.  It’s a definite “add” to just about anyone’s fitness program!

The plank

Modified plank

Starting Position:  Lie face down on a mat with your elbows right underneath your shoulders.

Action: Bring your hips off the mat and hold yourself up either at your elbows and toes (regular plank) or at your knees and your toes (modified plank).

Be sure to: Pull your abdominal muscles up toward your spine.

Add it into your routine this way: Pull up into the plank and hold for about 20 seconds.  Release and repeat.  Work up to longer hold times.

So, let’s review……….

-Stand taller

-Shoulder blades down and back on the ribs

-Throw a few posture-specific exercises into your regular workout

………….you’ll look and feel younger within weeks!

Committed to your success,

Becky

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I recently visited El Dorado Hills, California, where one of my colleagues teaches a “boomer” fitness class. I thought it would be fun to drop in on his class and see how he keeps the boomer population in shape in his neck of the woods.

With his permission, I got some video clips of Val’s boomers in action. Wow, what a workout! He’s got all the elements we boomers need in a workout: strength, cardiovascular endurance, balance, core stability, and one element that really deserves a blog post and video of it’s own: POWER. (Power is the rate at which you perform a movement. I’ll go into detail on power and why we boomers need to address power in our workouts in a future post, as it really deserves a post and video explanation of its own!)

Take a sneak peak at this lively group in action. There are lots of take-aways for you in this video. If you see some exercises in it you’re not doing—-add them into your workout! I interview Val briefly after my sneak peak of his class, and he lays out exactly what baby boomers should incorporate into their workouts, so make sure to watch the end of the video.

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Oh, and a little P.S. : Although Val bills this class as a “boomer” workout, one of the participants let me know after class that she’s in her 80’s! She kept up with the “younger” crowd with no problem. I want to be like her when I grow up!

Thanks to the Boomers at the Four Seasons Community in El Dorado Hills, California for allowing me to be a “fly on the wall” at their class.

Make it a great day!

Becky

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Impact! Yes. IMPACT. Now, please understand I’m not suggesting that every baby boomer woman run outside right now and jump off her back porch or run for an hour straight.

However, every woman who wishes to remain healthy and maintain her bone mass as she ages needs to consider whether her current exercise program is placing enough demand on her bones. You boomer gals who are avid swimmers, walkers or “spinning” enthusiasts–take note!

At this point in our lives, our bodies aren’t making any more bone. We “banked” it in our youth, up until we were about 30 years old. It’s imperative that we KEEP what we currently have. We can do this by making sure we get enough calcium** and by doing weight bearing cardiovascular exercise and full body strength training.

Back when I was in graduate school, we were taught that walking produced enough of a “stress” on the bones, but recent research has shown this is not the case. Cardiovascular activities that provide a little impact (not necessarily throughout the whole workout) are proving to be the best choices for helping women maintain bone mass. Weight training, especially exercises that target the back and hips, has also been shown to help maintain bone mass in women.

Again, it’s not necessary for your whole cardio workout to be impactful. Studies show that just a few jumps or hops here and there can make a big difference over time. As with any significant change in your workout program, you should always check with your primary health care provider to see if adding a little impact to your exercise program is safe for your particular situation.

For my female baby boomer customers here in San Jose, I include in their workouts strength exercises for the hips and back (like dead lifts and squats) and I add just a little impact to their cardio routines. For instance, I suggest they simply jump rope, do jumping jacks or jump up on a porch step a few times after their cardio workout. We start with 5 jumps and work up from there (over time) to about 10 or 15 jumps 3 times per week.

One need only look at an elderly osteoporotic woman to see the devastating effects of severe bone loss. We can’t control the hormonal changes that happen to us over time, but we can control the amount of impact our bones get and the type of bone building nutrients we put in our bodies.

Are YOU getting a little impact in your workout?

Leave me a comment here and share how you challenge your bones each week.

Let’s learn from each other!

Yours in health,

Becky

**Nutrition experts recommend 1,000 mg. of calcium a day for pre-menopausal women, and 1,200 mg. a day for post -menopausal women. Check with your primary health care provider to find out the ideal amount of calcium intake for your situation.

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In my last post I talked about how finding the “why” is important in maintaining your motivation in a fitness program. Today I’ll address another theme that I believe is extremely important with regard to weight loss results for boomer women–especially if your ultimate result will take a long time.

Maintaining FOCUS is paramount if you wish to maintain your motivation and reach your goals. Focus involves having a clear picture of what it is you want. Being focused means being able to minimize distractions that take your mind or body away from goal oriented behaviors. Think for a moment about someone you know that you would describe as “unfocused” or “distracted”. Does this person get a lot accomplished? Probably not.

We baby boomer women are often classic multi-taskers (yours truly is guilty as charged!!). We juggle a lot of balls between work, family, volunteering, and other responsibilities. Maintaining focus, especially on ourselves, can be really hard. I think this is one reason that some baby boomer women struggle with their weight–they just don’t stay focused long enough.

Successful weight loss requires that we maintain some sort of focus on our goals. Here are some tips to help you maintain your focus on weight loss or other fitness goals:

-Put it on paper. What do you want to achieve? Write the specifics down. Post them where you’ll see them.
-Put it in pictures. What will you look like when you reach your goal? Find photos or other images that reflect what you will look like. Post them where you’ll see them.
-Put it in your mind. Visualize how you’ll look and feel when you reach your goals. Make a written list of those feelings and emotions.
-Take daily action. Keep a little notebook and write down at least ONE thing each day that you’ve done toward reaching your goal. Even little things matter. Doing something goal-oriented every day keeps “your mind on the prize”.

Some of us are better at maintaining focus than others. But even those of us who are easily distracted can learn to focus better. Try these tips and I guarantee your focus will improve— and you’ll enjoy successful weight loss and better fitness!

Becky

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