The Fitness Warden

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Saturday morning little leagues,  soccer leagues, basketball, and the local gym, just to name a few!  It is everywhere, not just in the general population, but now creeping into the group of people we look to for fitness or athletic advice.

The American public (adults age 20 years and over according to the CDC)  overweight or obese rate has grown to an astonishing 67%.   This is unacceptable to me and should be to everyone to watch this upward trend continue in the general population and now we are seeing an upward trend in so called fitness experts.  Look around at the next little league game you attend,  a large percentage (I would estimate to be close to the same 67%) of the coaches leading our young kids are overweight or obese.   Just the other day I was walking by a gym and observed a trainer who appeared to be at least 50lbs overweight working with a few clients.   I also observed a trainer sporting what I would classify as a beer gut.  Not as extreme as this image but I think you get the idea.

Having said all of that,  Would you hire a trainer that did not appear to be in good physical condition?  I know I wouldn’t!

We all want to be fit don’t we?  I have yet to meet anyone who is truly happy being overweight and out of shape.  In fact, I will go as far as to say that everyone I have ever met wishes they were in better condition.  Do these 10 things for 3 weeks (the amount of time it takes to develop a habit) and you will be on your way to a healthier lifestyle!

1. Pray before your feet hit the floor!  Thank him for the new day, invite him to be with you throughout your day and lay your concerns for the day at his feet.
2. Do ten pushups when you get out of bed. (increase as you can and work up to 100)
3. Track your caloric intake and your caloric outgo. If your intake is greater than your outgo then you upkeep will be your downfall.  This is directly converse to the way we think of our finances!
4. Separate your usual two large meals a day into 6 small meals per day.
5. Start your day with a healthy breakfast instead of Pop Tarts.
6. Walk for one hour per day (15 minute increments) at a moderate pace to increase your heart rate.  Track your steps with a pedometer to work up to 10,000 per day.
7. Read, Read, Read – Mental wellness is critical to Physical Health
8. Simply turn off the TV.
9. Finish the day with 10 crunches before bed. (increase as you can and work up to 100)
10. Pray before bed thanking him for the day that has past, ask for his protection as you sleep and restore your mind and body, and ask forgiveness for the sins of the day.

As an avid runner, I am constantly focused on the importance of stretching out my hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, and calves.  I perform dynamic stretches before and static stretches after any physical activity or event.  The dynamic stretching reduces your risk for injury during exercise while static stretches reduce stiffness afterward.  I have been running for six years and it suddenly occurred to me today in the locker room that I almost never see anyone stretching out their toes in preparation for or after running.  This may be in part due to my oblivious nature, but I do watch a lot of runners as they stretch because I am always looking for a different or additional way to do things.

While our toes do not directly provide support and push-off action in running, but they work together as a network or system for maintaining the balance and stability of the body on support.  Not to say that the human body cannot adapt and perform the same functions without them.  I am merely stating that they do provide a service to our ability to be mobile human beings and they need to be taken care of just as we take care of any other body part.  Poor toe health leads to issues with balance and poor walking mechanics

If you are a runner/walker or fitness junkie who incorporates running/walking into your daily routine you might want to add some dynamic stretching prior to exercise and static stretches after.  I recommend simply performing the following stretches:

Pre-Run

1. In a standing position as if preparing for a lunge, place one foot behind you keeping the ball of your foot on the floor slowly lift your heel and bend your knee slightly.  This stretch will flex your toes upward.  Use a wall, handrail, or a friend for additional balance (be aware that strangers will frown on being used for balance).  You should feel this primarily in the big toe and the arch of you foot.  Repeat for the other side.

Post-Run

1. Take your toes in your hands and bend them all downward, to stretch the top of your foot.
2. Take your toes in your hands and bend them all upward, enough that you feel the stretch in the bottom of your foot through your arch to your heel.
3. Separate all of your toes individually, bending them up, down, and side to side.
4. Finally grab your big toe and little toe at the same time and pull them in opposite directions.  This will help to restore the width in your forefoot after having been strapped into a tight shoe for who knows how long!

Don’t forget to wash those hands now! Oh the things I have seen!

See you on the trail!

Before starting an exercise regimen, everyone should get a full physical to make sure there are no underlying medical issues you and your trainer should be aware of.  In addition, I recommend that you start with a fitness assessment in order to establish a baseline profile.  Fitness assessments should be conducted every 12-16 weeks in order to properly monitor your progress.  The Fitness assessments are comprised of a number of tests including, Resting Vitals, Girth Measurements, Skinfold Measurements, Muscular Strength, Muscular Endurance, a Graded Exercise test, and Flexibility Measurement.

Once your baseline fitness level is determined you should meet with your trainer to establish a set of fitness/wellness goals.  Any good fitness plan should include both short-term and long-term goals.  Short term goals will give you a progression of small victories along the way to fuel the fire that is needed to achieve the long-term goals.  If your long-term goal is to lose weight, you will want to set realistic benchmarks and timelines so as not to get discouraged.  You didn’t get overweight and out of shape overnight, so don’t expect to lose weight and get in shape overnight.   Always remember the story of the tortoise and the hare, the tortoise always wins no matter how many times you read the book!