The Next Boot Camp Begins in 5 Weeks
Sign Up Now and Reserve Your Spot
The next Boot Camp begins on July 21st, just 5 weeks away. This is
a special Boot Camp that I’ve never done before. It is for women only
who are 30 pounds overweight or more.
If you have always wanted to participate in a Boot Camp, but didn’t
know if you could do it, this is the one for you. We’ll start slowly and
gradually increase the intensity of the work outs. By the final week,
you’ll be doing things you never thought you could.
Here’s the basic information:
Dates: July 21 through September 1 (7 consecutive Saturday’s)
Time: 8 am to 9 am
Locations: These will vary. Among the locations we will use are
Finlay Park, Riverfront Park, Irmo Middle School, and the State
House grounds. The first session will be at Finlay Park.
What to bring: A mat like a yoga mat and your water. You will also
need to bring a note from your doctor granting permission to take part
in the Boot Camp. (This protects you and me.)
Payment: $70 cash or check made out to Graham Fitness. The $70
covers all 7 sessions. Bring the payment to the first session.
What the workouts involve: There will be calisthenics, step
climbing, hill climbing, walking, stretching, and some running.
How to sign up: Email me at tim@grahamfitness.com or call me at
749-3461. There is no obligation if you sign up and change your
mind before the first session.
If you are a woman and 30 pounds or more overweight, sign up now.
You’ll have fun. You’ll challenge yourself, and you’ll get in the best
shape you’ve been in for a long time.
Fitness News & Views
A Publication of Graham Fitness
June 15, 2012
With the hot weather on the way, many runners
are heading indoors and running on a treadmill. But how
does treadmill training compare to running outside? Let’s
examine this question.
First off, let it be known that I am biased. At 65
years old, I’m still running five times a week or about 260
days a year. In a year, I may run 5 times on a treadmill,
so more than 98 percent of my running is outdoors. Still
many people prefer to run indoors, so let’s look at the pros
and cons of each.
The treadmill does offer several advantages over
outdoor running. First and foremost, the climate is
regulated. Most gyms keep their air conditioners set at 68
to 72 degrees. As a result, the risks of heat exhaustion
are greatly reduced.
Treadmills also offer a flat cushioned surface that
is easier on the ankles, knees, and hips. Treadmills allow
you to keep your water handy, and you can control your
speed and elevation. Most gyms have TV’s which can
help alleviate boredom. And perhaps most important, but
often overlooked, treadmills are safer since you are never
running in traffic.
There are some disadvantages however.
Because conditions change in the outdoors, your body
has to make adjustments.
Factors such as wind
resistance, weather, humidity, road surfaces, and hills
cause your body to adapt unconsciously. The only
changes you can manufacture on a treadmill are speed
and elevation, and even though your body has to adapt to
these changes, your brain knows these changes are
coming, since you are the one causing them.
Plus, running outside is more scenic. You can run
in parks, along riverbanks, in forests, in neighborhoods,
along trails, or on a track. The possibilities are endless.
Think of what you would miss if you traveled to
Washington, DC, and ran on a treadmill in a gym instead
of on the Mall or visited New York and ran inside instead
of in Central Park. Even right here in Columbia, there are
dozens of beautiful areas to run outside offering a vastly
different array of scenery.
Finally, there is the question of benefits. Do you
get the same exercise benefits running indoors that you
do running outside? Without citing a number of studies,
the short answer is yes. So whether you run inside or
outside really comes down to a matter of personal
preference. I’ll take my runs outside for the most part, but
if you prefer the convenience of a treadmill, have at it.
1 Corinthians 6: 19-20
One of the great advertising slogans in my opinion
is Nike’s “Just Do It.” It’s direct and to the point and
something we’ve all told ourselves from time to time when
we didn’t want to exercise. But I bet you don’t know
where Nike got the inspiration for the ad slogan.
Gary Gilmore’s last words before he was
executed by a firing squad in 1977 were “Let’s do it.”
When looking for a catchy slogan five years later Dan
Wieden of Nike’s advertising agency Wieden and
Kennedy remembered the quote, tweaked it a little, and
“Just Do It” was born.
A new study from the chemistry department at the
University of Scranton in Pennsylvania suggests that
popcorn can now be considered a health food.
The report presented at the 243rd National
Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society
says that popcorn packs a concentrated dose of healthy
antioxidant polyphenols, more than many fruits and
vegetables. A separate finding showed that popcorn hulls
contain the highest concentration of polyphenols and fiber.
One word of caution however: Popcorn is not a
low calorie food, so if you are trying to lose weight, limit
your consumption and don’t use butter. Also if you suffer
from high blood pressure, go easy on the salt.
Recently, I ran across this quote from Thomas
Jefferson. It might be very relevant for us today in light of
the increasing government involvement in just about
everything we do.
Jefferson said: “If the people let the government
decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take,
their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the
souls of those who live under tyranny.”
It has been said that some people cause
happiness wherever they go and others whenever they
go. Happiness is a state of mind. It’s not the absence of
problems. If you live in this world, you will have problems.
Jesus promised that. But how we respond to life’s daily
stresses goes a long way in determining our happiness
and as a result, our health.
More and more information is coming forth
showing that people who describe themselves as happy
and optimistic are healthier and live longer than those who
are unhappy.
But how do we stay happy in a world full of
trouble? In her book, The How of Happiness, Sonja
Lyubomirsky researched and defined 12 strategies for
sustaining happiness.
Here they are in my own
paraphrase:
1. Count your blessings. Express thanks for
what you have rather than focusing on what
you don’t have.
2. Be optimistic.
3. Don’t compare yourself to others. There are
always going to be some who are better off
than you are, but there are many more who
are far worse off.
4. Practice acts of kindness for friends or
strangers, directly or anonymously, planned or
spontaneous.
5. Develop strong relationships.
Human
interaction on a deep and significant level
increases our happiness.
6. Engage in activities at home and at work that
you truly enjoy.
7. Replay and savor life’s joys by thinking about
them and sharing them.
8. Make goals and pursue them.
9. Develop strategies for coping with stress,
hardship, or trauma.
10. Learn to forgive. Holding on to resentments
destroys our physical and mental well-being.
11. Believe in God and live accordingly. This one
should probably be first on the list.
12. Take care of your body by engaging in
physical activity.
There’s one more: Smile and laugh a lot.
And since we’re on the subject of happiness and
laughter, in a superb book called The Greatest Baseball
Stories Ever Told, Roy Blount Jr. recounts a time when
Yogi Berra gave a radio interview. Before the broadcast,
the interviewer told Yogi, “When we go on the air, we’re
going to do a few free associations. I’ll toss out a name
and you tell me the first thing that pops into your mind.”
“Ok,” said Berra.
They went on the air. “I’m here tonight with Yogi
Berra,” said the host, “and we’re going to play free
association. I’m going to mention a name and Yogi’s
going to say the first thing that comes to mind. Ok, Yogi?”
“Ok.”
“All right, here we go then. Mickey Mantle.”
“What about him?” said Berra.
I eat a lot of yogurt. I eat it as a snack and often
as a dessert. I prefer Yoplait low-fat vanilla yogurt, but
lately I’ve heard that Greek yogurt may be a better option,
so I did some research, or I should say, I checked on
some research others have done.
The primary difference between the two is Greek
yogurt is strained to remove most of the whey, lactose,
and sugar, giving it a much thicker consistency. In roughly
the same amount of calories, Greek yogurt has about
twice the protein of regular yogurt and half the sugar. A
typical 6-ounce serving of Greek yogurt has between 15
and 20 grams of protein compared to about 9 grams in
regular yogurt.
On the negative side, Greek yogurt is significantly
higher in fat than the normal varieties. A serving of Greek
yogurt may have 16 grams of saturated fat while regular
yogurt contains about 7 grams. Also regular yogurt has
more calcium, because some of the calcium is lost in the
straining process of Greek yogurt.
So which is better? It’s your choice. They’re both
good for you. It just depends on whether you want more
protein, more calcium, or less fat.
It’s vacation season again, and if you haven’t
planned yours yet, let’s discuss some ideas for vacations
that include physical activity. There’s no need to go on a
vacation and vegetate. I’ve found that the best vacations
are those that include some healthy activity built into them.
Even a trip to the beach can be filled with exercise
if you want it to. Plan to run or walk every day. One of my
favorite places to run is on the beach. If you are not a
runner, take a brisk walk every day. Water parks offer fun
combined with physical activity. Last year, my family went
to Surfside Beach for a week, and one day we all went to
a water park near our rented house. Each of the slides
had steps. The least number of steps was 60 and the
most was 150. In the three hours we were there, I
probably climbed five or six hundred steps, maybe more –
about half as many as the Empire State Building. It was
great exercise. If you plan to play a round or two of golf,
leave the golf cart and walk the course. And you don’t
have to forego your time in the weight room either. I’ve
never been anywhere that I couldn’t find a fitness center to
work out.
We have also taken vacations that included a lot
of walking. One year we toured several Civil War sites –
Gettysburg, Antietam, and Harper’s Ferry – all of which
involved extensive walking. We also walked several miles
when we traveled to New York and Washington, DC, both
great walking cities and both offering outstanding areas to
run.
Another year, we went whitewater rafting. One
day we rafted the Chattooga River and the next the
Ocoee. We stayed at the Dillard House in North Georgia,
a picturesque motel which also offered horseback riding
and zip lines. Directly across the street was a high school
track which was perfect for my morning runs.
For several years, my kids and I would take
several days and backpack the Appalachian Trail. A great
starting point only about three hours from Columbia is Hot
Springs, NC.
The point is whatever you do on your vacation,
plan some physical activity into it.
Graham Fitness
Tim Graham
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Website: www.grahamfitness.com
Email: tim@grahamfitness.com
Phone: 803-447-8557
Please Support The Loyal Advertisers That Make This Newsletter Possible
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Phone: 749-1633
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Wolf’s Fitness Center
5432 August Road
Lexington, SC 29072
Phone: 356-6400
Wolf’s is a total fitness facility offering
some great amenities. There’s a huge recently
expanded weight room featuring free weights
and machines There is a cardio area with
treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes, stair
steppers, and the cardio theater.
Other
amenities include an indoor walking/running
track, sauna, child care facilities with an
attendant, tanning beds, clean locker rooms
and showers, and sports supplements. Prices
are very reasonable and there are no enrollment
fees ever. Wolf’s also offers a full slate of
fitness classes including kickboxing and pilates,
as well as all new spinning classes. Check out
their website, www.wolfsfitness.com.
.
Harbison Recreation Center
106 Hillpine Road
Columbia, SC 29212
Phone: 781-2281
The Harbison Rec Center offers more facilities
for less money than anywhere else in town These
are just some of the features: a weight room
with new machines, free weights, treadmills,
ellipticals, and stationary bikes; a 25 meter
junior Olympic size indoor heated swimming
pool; sauna; whirlpool; racquet ball and
tennis courts; a basketball gym; and miles of
traffic-free trails for walking or jogging.
There are classes for seniors as well as summer
camp and after school programs for kids. Also
clean locker rooms and an all-purpose room for
large gatherings. All for only $315 a year for
singles or $600 a year for families. Check out
their website, www.harbisonhoa.com/rec.