NAFC Presents
Fitness Article Library:
Wellness
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NAFC Presents Fitness Article Library:Wellness
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Facts about smoking:
Smoking annually costs the United States economy over $65 billion in lost productivity and health care.
The chances are 9 in 10 that a first time smoker will become addicted.
17% of physicians smoke.
40 million Americans say the have quit.
Tobacco smoke is the most dangerous airborne carcinogen in the United States.
Smoking is responsible for 83% of lung cancers
Smoking doubles the risk of coronary heart disease.
"Cigarettes are the only legal product that, when used as intended, cause
death."
Dr. Louis W. Sullivan, former United States secretary of Health and Human Services.
In 1992, the Surgeon General pointed to tobacco use as the single most important risk to human health in America and the number one cause of preventable death. Since cigarette smoke contains 4,000+ chemicals, it is also a significant health hazard to nonsmokers as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), second hand smoke, or passive smoke.
Nicotine is legal, socially acceptable, easy to access and the most heavily advertised product in the United States, with women and teens being the prime targets, despite the statements made by tobacco manufacturers to the contrary. Although supporters of the tobacco industry cite "personal choice" as the main reason people smoke, many have repeatedly tried to quit and cannot. Why? Because smoking is much more than a bad habit, it is an addiction.
More addictive than heroin or cocaine, the nicotine in smoke takes 7 seconds to reach the brain, altering mood and brain function, and giving a feeling of satisfaction. Smoking one pack of cigarettes a day provides 160-200 "hits" of nicotine. This is one of the most difficult dependencies to quit. The withdrawal symptoms include irritability, agitation, insomnia, fatigue, headaches, tremors, digestive disorders, constipation, intense cravings, and problems with attention and concentration, as well as short term memory difficulties.
Cigarettes have been called the "Gateway Drug," easily leading to other substance abuse. 80% of recovering alcoholics and addicts are smokers.
Nine out of 10 smokers say they would like to quit. The fact is that everyone is different and quitting is harder for some people than for others. The true nature of nicotine dependency and the difficulties involved in recovery must be considered for future success.
Quitting an addiction is a process involving several transition stages. This is a very predictable process and success is closely linked to where a person is in these stages. The majority of addicted smokers are not in a stage to take action for changing their behavior.
This recovery process occurs with anyone who overcomes an addiction. An important point to understand is that successful quitters make an average of 3 to 4 attempts before they become long term maintainers. Relapse is the rule rather than the exception. With addictive behavior, linear progression is a rarity, so the person will go through the recovery stages in more of a circular fashion.
The support of friends and acquaintances helps some people quit smoking, if done in the proper way. Support does not mean berating, belittling, nagging, or embarrassing the smoker. Support means encouragement, approval, congratulations, and offering diversions during difficult times. Nobody can make another person quit. It is the smoker’s decision. The best support says "I care."
The chances of quitting are increased if a strategy is mapped out long before actually putting out that last cigarette.
Look into the available brands of nicotine gum or patches that you may want to try. These can minimize the initial physical withdrawal symptoms, allowing the smoker to focus on learning new coping skills. With these aids, individuals still get nicotine, but not the additional 4,000+ chemicals in smoke. The aids do have some side effects, so consider those also in your decision.
These last month steps are important because when the quitting day arrives, smoking is no longer automatic. It has been indulged in as an controlled addiction, using behavior modification techniques.
On your quitting date, put away all ashtrays and lighters. Go to nonsmoking places. Limit your alcohol intake. You will probably have some negative feelings such as depression, grieving, and anger. It’s OK to feel anger and it may help to focus your anger toward tobacco and your addiction, treating your withdrawal symptoms as an enemy to be defeated. But on your quitting day and after, DON’T SMOKE.
Regular exercise is one of the best ways to cope with the stress of smoking cessation. It is hare to smoke while your are exercising. Exercise has a calming effect that counteracts the irritability and anxiety. There may be an energizing effect that helps reduce depression and fatigue. Doing cardiovascular (aerobic) exercise can reinforce your resolve to clean out your arteries and lungs.
Nicotine increases the metabolic rate, so many quitters experience some weight gain. Hunger also often increases after cigarettes are gone. Exercise burns calories, increasing the daily energy expenditure. Recent studies on exercise and metabolism have shown that a weight training program boosts the metabolic rate as much as nicotine, making resistance exercise an effective method to control your weight after quitting the smoking habit.
Consider joining a fitness facility or sign up for classes where you will be around a smoke-free environment and find social support and instruction for your exercise program.
Learn as much as you can about nutritious food choices which will help your body as it recovers from its addiction to nicotine.
Making the decision to quit smoking and following through with action will be one of the best gifts you give to yourself and those you care about. For more information about smoking cessation, contact the American Heart Association.
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ADDICTION RECOVERY AND EXERCISE
Studies of people who have successfully recovered from addictions seem to have a common trait: regular exercise.
People who are addicted and ready to enter recovery programs are usually in poor health and have withdrawn from social support. Exercise program aids the mechanisms of the brain to function better, improves the cardiovascular system, and helps the recovering addict build a structure into his or her life. The resulting increases in health and fitness result in an improved self-image and a better chance for recovery.
Exercise is good for people but intense exercise stresses the tissues and causes fluid build up which makes muscles sore. Massage is one of the oldest, most natural forms of treatment used to heal the body and is an excellent counterpart of exercise. Because it can be a pleasant experience, some people use it as a way to reward themselves for sticking to their fitness routines.
Massage comes in many forms, from a neck rub by a friend or loved one to a recuperative massage performed by a certified practitioner. Massage uses smooth, steady and rhythmical pressure on the body to accomplish various goals.
If you want more than a friendly back rub, it is best to find a qualified massage therapist. There are certain techniques that require training and a certified massage therapist knows what is safe and what isn't.
Massage can increase the fresh oxygenated blood supple to the muscles and organs, and aid the drainage of venous blood, promoting the removal of waste products from the body. By increasing the flow of lymphatic material, waste removal is also aided and white blood cell production is increased, boosting one's natural immunity. Massage influences the equilibrium in the nervous system.
There are different types of massage performed to accomplish several things.
Slow, rhythmical massage soothes and relaxes the body and feels wonderful. Swedish massage is the most widely performed kind of massage. This relaxing massage has a sedative effect on the nervous system, helps muscle tone and helps prevent atrophy from forced inactivity due to illness. Some people have regular massages to help prevent problems in the soft tissue, or muscles. Swedish massage is usually employed in the form of a full-body one hour massage while the client is partially or fully unclothed.
Relaxing massage may be exactly what is needed for someone who overdoes exercise and is
sore, or someone who has had a highly stressful week at work.
Shiatsu massage is based on the principle that blocked energy is the
cause of muscle pain, loss of vitality and many illnesses. Application of pressure to
vital points of the body is the primary way it is performed.
Sports massage is popular with both professional and amateur athletes, as well as many regular exercisers. It uses the traditional techniques of Swedish massage but more vigorously. Sports massages can be aimed at preventing injury to sensitive areas and stress points of the body.
Sports massage helps stimulate athletes before an event. Some competitive athletes are familiar with a stimulating or excitatory massage, which uses shorter strokes than a relaxing massage. Its purpose is to prepare muscles for exertion, and increase blood flow and help muscles relax during rest periods. This massage excites the nerve endings in the skin, muscles, and blood vessels that stimulate reflex reactions.
Massage also relieves muscle pain after a competition. Restorative massage is the most widely known form of sports massage. When you injure yourself, the first inclination is to rub the injured area. Athletes use sports massage because rubbing often treats and restores the injured part.
This massage stimulates the circulation and increases the lymphatic flow. This eliminates waste products caused by exercise, such as lactic acid. It also disperses the edema or swelling that follows an injury.
Sports massage also relaxes muscle spasms. The knots people sometimes feel in overworked muscles are spasms that occur when fatigued muscle fibers tangle and remain contracted. Cross fiber and deep tissue massage are also used to break up scar tissue, knots and adhesions.
The result of this massage is often pain relief. Massage has been used successfully in releiving inflammation due to tendonitis.
Many amateur and professional athletes use sports massage on a regular basis to improve physical qualities, peak increased work capacity, and reduce fatigue. Massage also relieves some of the stress caused by the psychological demands of heavy training. Note the impressive benefits of regular massage sessions:
When selecting a massage practitioner, you should have an idea about what kind of massage you want. Deep tissue work and massages for specific physical conditions should be done by a person certified in that area. Ask people you know for referrals, call the referred practitioners, and ask some questions about their backgrounds, schooling, and philosophy toward massage. When you find a massage therapist who seems compatible with your personality, get set to treat yourself to a wonderful physical experience.
Many people experience the joys of using exercise fully in one’s life. These fit people include intense workouts in their daily lives, designing them in a way that allows each body part to get adequate recovery time. However when exercise starts “taking over” a person’s life, the activity becomes too much.
Exercise abuse is an addiction to working out. The person places exercise as the top priority in life and rely excessively on exercise. Even when ill or injured, the exercise addict continues to exercise and experiences withdrawal symptoms when exercise is cut back. These include mood swings, sleep disturbances, and appetite changes.
The cause of exercise addiction is not fully understood. Perhaps the exerciser becomes hooked on the endorphins the body produced. The stress relief provided by the distraction of the activity may be mentally addictive. People who have lost a lot of weight from their programs may have an intense fear of losing what was gained if they take any time off. These plus other reasons may affect abusing exercise.
As a fitness professional, a personal trainer or group instructor can help students avoid exercise abuse.
All active people benefit when they find the balance between too little and too much exercise in their lives.
Sleep is a critical factor in emotional and physical health. Many people see sleep as a waste of time, but a good nights sleep is critical to our well-being. Many factors contribute to insomnia: anxiety, tension, diet; they can all affect our sleep. A healthy diet and exercise can aid in sleeping well. Many people's diets are full of caffeine and salt, which stimulate the adrenal gland. And we wonder why we can't relax! Without relaxation it is difficult to fall asleep and stay sleeping through the night. One may change their bedtime, find a calming activity such as a walk, bath, or meditation to do before bed in order to aid in relaxation. Exercise and sleep go hand in hand. Our bodies need rest in order to strengthen for the next days' activity and exercise relieves many symptoms of bad sleep.
Anything that interferes with our sleep interferes with our health and well-being. A good night's sleep is important if we want to feel good and avoid illness. So avoiding stimulants and drugs, getting the proper nutrition, finding time to relax, and exercise are all key to assuring a good sleeping pattern.
By Pam Germain
When I was young, my dream was to become a dancer. I pictured myself on point, gracefully dancing with the Joffrey Ballet. Harsh reality set in when my body (and shoe size) continued growing past the acceptable height and weight for a prima ballerina whose partner could easily lift her into any amazing position. My dreams and goals were matched up with my body makeup when I discovered the sportier movement of group fitness and aerobics.
People decide to exercise for many reasons, but a common one is a desire to change the way they look. And although many factors contribute to how much exercise can change a person's looks, heredity is one of the most influential.
Everyone is born with a basic body type that cannot be changed. Body type is defined by fat distribution, muscle definition, fat-to-muscle ratio, limb length and body shape. There are three "classic" body types:
Most people are a blend of these body types, but resemble one more than the others. Exercise will not change one type to another, but is will enhance the potential of each body type.
Another genetic factor that affects what exercise will do for a particular body is the length of the muscle belly between the tendons. If the muscle belly is long and the tendons are short, a person looks more muscular than if the muscle is short and the attaching tendons are long. This in an important factor in the sport of body building. However, any person's muscles can become stronger and leaner with exercise.
Heredity also dictates the ratio of slow-twitch and fast-twitch fibers that make up muscles. Slow-twitch fibers are used for endurance activities. Slow-twitch muscle fibers don't fatigue fast and don't grow large. Marathon athletes have a larger percentage of the slow-twitch fibers.
Fast-twitch fibers, which are powerful and can grow very large, work best during short, intense effort. Strength and short distance athletes have muscles with a high percentage of fast-twitch fibers.
Since you have inherited your basic look, it is important to know your body before you try to change it. Analyze what your body type is, the length of your muscle belly, and whether you seem to have a higher percentage of fast-twitch or slow-twitch muscle fibers. A few questions that may help you decide:
Once you understand your body type, you will be able to set reasonable fitness goals and avoid the stress caused by unrealistic expectations. For example, many people have a mental image of the "ideal" body weight and size. Women tend to feel a social pressure to conform to a commercially encouraged look without giving any thought to their genetic makeup.
22 percent body fat is the recommended average for healthy, fit women. A woman who is already below 30 percent body fat and sticks to a low fat food plan and regular exercise for a year or more but just can't get down to 22 percent body fat may have to accept a genetic predisposition to a higher body fat percentage.
Likewise, someone who wants to build bigger muscles and trains vigorously and eats a very nutritious diet may find after a year of exercise that heredity didn't give him or her the muscle types for large mass.
One way to deal with a necessary change in an unrealistic goal is to really think about the weight you feel best at; the weight at which you feel energetic and productive, and which you can maintain for a long time (more than 6 months). Women especially should accept a range that allows for natural fluctuations.
Sometimes it is difficult to accept oneself as less than that "ideal" of perfection, but by doing so exercise can become the healthy, anti-stress activity it should be. Concentrate on how good your feel because of exercise and it will be a reward for a special person, YOU!
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BODY IMAGE
If you are a personal trainer or group fitness instructor who is unhappy with your body, you will teach your students to be unhappy with theirs. Your body language, attitudes, and observed actions mirror your feelings about your own body. Since we are in a business that promotes better health and fitness as the top priorities, we owe it to our clients to analyze our own body image perception and learn to relate positively to ourselves and others in this area. The following evaluations can help you become aware of your views toward your body.
When you look in the mirror, notice the parts you never look at, the parts you always look at, and the emotions you feel when you see yourself. When you look at other people, do you focus on the same areas that you are dissatisfied with in yourself?
Think about the critical things you say to yourself about your appearance. Where did you get the idea that you should be critical of certain body parts? From other people, from the media, from your own ideas?
We often disregard the compliments that people give us. Think of them as gifts and allow yourself to keep them as something wonderful to think about. Believe them!
Look through old photos of yourself and notice your body language, facial expressions, clothes, and interactions with other people in the picture. Remember how you felt about your body at various ages.
While the media will continue to bombard us with the ideal body (which is very unattainable for most people), we can re-focus our own views toward a healthy perception and help our clients do the same.
© 2003 by I-NAFC/BodyBasics, Inc. All rights reserved.