Proper Eating can Make or Break You on Race Day!

Carbo-loading can help you race without hitting the wall—as long as you do it right.

By Dimity McDowell Image by Lisa Shin From the November 2011 issue of Runner’s World.

Most runners know they should eat pasta, rice, potatoes, or other high-carb foods before a half or full marathon. After all, carbs are a great source of energy, and you need a lot of energy to cover 13.1 or 26.2 miles. But many runners are far less clear on how many carbohydrates they should eat and when to start loading up. “When I go to marathon expos,” says Monique Ryan, R.D., author of Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes, “I’m amazed how many people haven’t carbo-loaded properly. Runners train so hard and then arrive with a huge handicap.” Here’s what every runner needs to know about carbohydrates, so you can toe the line fully fueled and ready to go.

CARB SCIENCE
When you eat a bowl of spaghetti, most of the carbs are stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver. Glycogen is your body’s most easily accessible form of energy, but it’s not the only source, says Ryan. During a half or full marathon you burn both glycogen and fat. But the latter is not as efficient, which means your body has to work harder to convert it into fuel.

When you run out of glycogen during a race you hit “the wall.” Your body has to slow down as it turns fat into energy. Benjamin Rapoport, a 2:55 marathoner, is intimately acquainted with the wall. The Harvard M.D. student (who has a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from MIT) hit the wall so hard at the 2005 New York City Marathon he decided to study how to avoid it in the future (his research was published in PLoS Computational Biology in October 2010). “Proper carbo-loading—or filling your muscles to the brim with glycogen—won’t make you faster, but it will allow you to run your best and, if you race smartly, avoid the wall,” he says.

CHOOSE WISELY
Which carbs should you load up on? “I’m very utilitarian,” says Rapoport. “I eat rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.” But runners don’t need to be so restrictive. Tortillas, oatmeal, bread, pancakes, waffles, bagels, yogurt, and juice are all easy-to-digest options. Many fruits are high in carbs but are also high in fiber—and too much can cause stomach trouble mid-race. “Bananas are a low-fiber choice,” says sports nutritionist Ilana Katz, R.D. “And you can peel apples, peaches, and pears to reduce their fiber content.” She also gives her clients permission to indulge in white bread and baked potatoes without the skin since both are easily digested.

Ryan suggests steering clear of high-fat foods—like creamy sauces, cheese, butter, and oils—as well as too much protein. Both nutrients fill you up faster than carbs and take longer to digest, she says. Pick jam—not butter—for your toast, tomato sauce in lieu of alfredo sauce on your pasta, and frozen yogurt instead of ice cream for dessert.

HOW MUCH?
You can’t completely fill your muscles with glycogen from just one meal, “which is why you should start carbo-loading two or three days before your race,” says Ryan. Since you’re running very few miles, the glycogen will accumulate in your muscles. At this point, 85 to 95 percent of your calories should come from carbs, says Katz. Ryan recommends eating about four grams of carbs for every pound of body weight (for a 150 pound runner that’s 600 grams—or 2,400 calories—of carbs per day). During his research, Rapoport developed an even more precise formula, which runners can access at endurancecalculator.com, that factors in variables including age, resting heart rate, VO2 max, and predicted finishing time. It’s important to keep in mind that you’re most likely not eating many more calories per day than you were during the thick of your training—it’s just that more of those calories are coming from carbs.

If you step on the scale while you’re carbo-loading, be prepared to see a number that’s at least four pounds more than your usual weight. The extra pounds mean you get a gold star for carbo-loading properly. “With every gram of stored carbohydrate, you store an extra three grams of water,” says Katz. That means your body will be hydrated and fueled as you start the race, ensuring you cross the finish feeling strong.

EAT better: Even if you carbo-load properly, you still need to take in midrace fuel (such as sports drinks, gels, chews, and candy) to keep your energy level high.

Good Eats
A day of carbo-loading for a 150-pound runner

BREAKFAST
1 bagel with 2 tablespoons strawberry jam (71 g)
1 medium banana (27 g)
8 ounces fruit yogurt (41 g)
8 ounces orange juice (26 g)

MORNING SNACK
2 Nature Valley Oats ‘n Honey
Granola Bars (29 g)
8 ounces Gatorade (14 g)

LUNCH
1 large baked potato with 1/4 cup salsa (69 g)
1 sourdough roll (40 g)
8 ounces chocolate milk (26 g)
1 large oatmeal cookie (56 g)

AFTERNOON SNACK
1 Clif Bar (42 g)
8 ounces Gatorade (14 g)

DINNER
1 chicken burrito with rice, corn salsa, and black beans (105 g)
1 2-ounce bag Swedish Fish (51 g)

CARB TOTAL 611 g

Perfect Timing
What to do before race day to ensure your tank is full

6 WEEKS BEFORE: Practice loading
Two or three days prior to your longest run, start eating more carbs and less fat and protein. “You’ll get a sense of what foods agree and disagree with your stomach,” says Katz.

1 WEEK BEFORE: Make a plan
“A plan is especially important if you’re traveling to a race,” says Ryan. Pack plenty of snacks, like sports bars, pretzels, and crackers. Check menus online and make restaurant reservations.

2 OR 3 DAYS BEFORE: Switch to carbs
From now through your race, 85 to 95 percent of your diet should be carbs. Eat after taper runs. “That is when muscles are primed to store glycogen,” says Rapoport.

NIGHT BEFORE: Don’t stuff yourself
Dinner should be relatively small but carb-heavy. Eat on the early side so you have lots of time to digest.
“You want to wake up race day hungry—not full from the night before,” says Ryan.

RACE MORNING: Have breakfast
Three hours before the start, eat 150 grams of carbs, like a bagel and yogurt or sports drink and oatmeal, says Ryan. Early race? “Get up at 3 a.m., eat, and go back to bed,” she says

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/1,7120,s6-242-301–14076-0,00.html

Knowing how fast (or slow) to go makes every run better.

When you run within your limits, every workout can be a pleasure. But start even a few seconds per mile too fast, and misery awaits: excess fatigue, loss of motivation, or even injury. That’s why it’s so important to know what pace is right for you. Happily, by doing a simple “magic mile” time trial, you can find the best speed for your runs, then set realistic goals and keep running—enjoyably—forever.

Run One Mile Hard Go to a track and jog an easy lap or two for a warmup. Walk for three to four minutes. Then time yourself running four laps, which is about one mile. Don’t run all out; just push a little faster than you usually do. Record your time. By running on a track—which is flat and provides the most accurate measurement of distance—you’ll get a solid indication of your top speed. You can use it as a benchmark to determine what pace is appropriate for your current fitness level on daily runs. Do the time trial every two weeks or so; try to beat your previous time, and track your progress.

Slow Down Every Day On your daily runs, aim to run two to three minutes slower per mile than your magic mile time. So if you do your magic mile in 10 minutes, aim to keep your pace around 12 to 13 minutes per mile on daily runs. At the perfect pace, you should feel comfortable and relaxed—like you can finish a sentence without having to catch your breath. If you’re huffing and puffing, ease off. Don’t worry about going too slow.

Set Race Goals Signed up for a race? Use the magic mile to set realistic goals for different distances. Add 33 seconds to your mile time to determine a pace for a 5-K. Multiply your mile time by 1.15 for a 10-K, 1.2 for a half-marathon, and 1.3 to predict your marathon potential. (See “Time Trial,” below.)

Get Used To It At a race, you’ll get the best results if you try to maintain a steady pace from start to finish. Here’s how to practice: Once a week, try to run your goal race pace for a half to three-quarters of a mile. Each quarter mile, check your pace and adjust if you need to. Each week, run a little farther at your goal pace until you’re running one-third to one-half of the race distance.

Time Trial

If you can run one mile in 10 minutes, here’s your pace for other distances.

Distance: 5k       Pace per mile: 10:33

Distance: 10k     Pace per mile: 11:30

Distance: 1/2 marathon    Pace per mile: 12

Distance: marathon           Pace per mile: 13

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/1,7120,s6-238-520–13101-0,00.html

By Jeff Galloway Image by Harry Campbell From the May 2009 issue of Runner’s World

Put injuries behind you by working this key—but often neglected—muscle group.

By Nikki Kimball Image by Justin Steele From the March 2011 issue of Runner’s World

For the past decade, coaches, trainers, and physical therapists like me have told runners to “work your core“—the muscles of your torso that support your every move. And so many runners have added crunches and planks that strengthen the abdominals and back to their routines. But these exercises do little for the powerhouse muscles that surround the pelvis. The gluteal (buttocks) muscles are so commonly left out of runners’ strength programs, I call them the forgotten core.

When we run, the glutes hold our pelvis level and steady, extend our hip, propel us forward, and keep our legs, pelvis, and torso aligned. So when our glutes are faulty, our entire kinetic chain gets disrupted. Studies link glute weakness to Achilles tendinitis, shinsplints, runner’s knee, and iliotibial-band syndrome. Indeed, many injured runners I treat come to physical therapy with strong abdominals and backs but weak glutes.

Part of the problem is that glutes aren’t as active as other running muscles during routine activities, which can make your hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves disproportionately stronger. Another issue is that most strength-training routines don’t isolate the glutes. If an exercise requires several muscles to perform the movement, the majority of the work will be done by the strongest of those muscles. Also, tight muscles, specifically the hip flexors, can inhibit the glutes and prevent their muscle fibers from firing.

Here’s how to see where you stand, plus exercises that will strengthen your neglected glutes—and give you a coveted runner’s butt. Do two or three sets of 12 to 15 reps two times a week.

(see video of workout  http://bcove.me/3kzdytpo )

Seat Check
Test your glute strength

SINGLE-LEG STANCE TEST
Stand with your hands over your head, palms together. Lift your right foot off the ground and balance. Watch the left side of your hips to see if it dips down. If it does, it’s a sign of glute weakness. Try it on the other side, too. Next, do this: While in the same position, lean to the right of your body, checking to see if your left side dips. Move your hands to the left of your body and see if your right side dips. If your hips dip, it’s a sign that your glutes need work. Try this test also after a long or hard run to see how your glutes perform when fatigued.

HIP HIKE
Stand sideways on a step, box, or bench at least four inches high with one leg held free of the bench, and keep both hips squared forward and shoulders level. Keeping your standing leg (the one on the bench) straight (no knee bending!), raise your free hip directly upward and then drop the leg.

SINGLE-LEG DEADLIFT
Stand on your right leg with your left leg behind you and in the air. Keeping your shoulders back and your back straight, hinge forward and reach your hands toward the ground. Return back up and repeat. Hold weights or a medicine ball for an added challenge.

THREE-WAY LEG RAISES
Place a resistance band just above your knees. Separate your feet and bend your knees, lowering down into a slightly crouched position. Balance on your left leg.
1. With slow, controlled motions, move your right leg forward against the band’s resistance, then back to the starting position.
2. Without placing your right foot back on the floor, move it out to the side, then return to the starting position.
3. Move your right foot behind you, then back to the starting position. That’s one repetition.

LUNGE STRETCH
Tight hip flexors can inhibit the firing of glute muscles. Do this stretch after every run. Step forward and lower your back knee. Keep your knee over your ankle. Hold for 30 seconds on each side.

SINGLE-LEG SQUAT
Stand on your left leg. Lift your right out in front of you. Stand tall (don’t round your shoulders), and keep your left knee over your ankle as you lower down into a squat. Your hands can extend out for balance. Push into your heel to come back up and repeat. Start with shallow squats; go deeper as it becomes easier.

SIDE-LYING LEG LIFT
Lie on your side with your legs extended out straight. Your lower arm can rest under your head; your top arm can rest on your hip. Lift the top leg up while keeping your hips steady and facing forward (do not rotate backward). Lower down and repeat. For an added challenge, wear an ankle weight.

To watch a video of this routine, visit runnersworld.com/glutes.

FEEL BETTER
Only have time for one exercise? The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research reports that the side-lying leg lift activates the glutes the most.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-263–13852-F,00.html

Need more air? Deep breathing can help you run longer with less effort. By Gina Demillo Wagner  From Runner’s World

Breathe Right
Here’s how Mindy Solkin, a New York City-based coach, teaches runners to engage their diaphragms.

Open Your Mouth
Your mouth is larger than your nostrils, so it’s more effective at taking in oxygen. Also, keeping your mouth open keeps your face more relaxed, which makes it easier to breathe deeply.

Breathe in Patterns
Coordinating your inhales and exhales with your footfalls develops diaphragmatic strength. Start with a 2-2 pattern-breathe in while stepping left, right; breathe out while stepping left, right. Advance to 3-3 (breathe in, step left, right, left; breathe out, step right, left, right), and then a 4-4 pattern.

Breath Enhancers
Cross-training exercises that reduce huffing and puffing

These three Pilates moves strengthen the diaphragm, stretch tight muscles, and improve posture-all of which help you run longer with less effort. Practice each exercise two or three times a week before you run.

1) THE HUNDRED
Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Keep your arms at your sides, palms down. Inhale and lift your head, neck, shoulders, and arms off the ground. Lift your knees and extend your feet so your legs are straight and at a 45-degree angle to the floor. Take five short breaths in and five short breaths out. While doing so, pump your arms, moving them in a controlled up and down manner. Do a cycle of 10 full breaths-each breath includes five inhales and five exhales. After you do 10 complete breaths, you will have completed 100 arm pumps.

> The Payoff: Teaches controlled breathing, so that your inhales and exhales are balanced. Bonus: Builds strong abdominals.

2) THE SWAN
Lie face down with your palms flat under your shoulders (as if you were going to do a pushup). Look down so your neck is in line with your spine. Inhale and slowly lift your head, neck, shoulders, and chest as you press your hands into the ground. Keep a slight bend in your elbows. As you exhale, slowly lower yourself back down, chest first, then shoulders, neck, chin, and head. To avoid discomfort in your back, concentrate on pulling your shoulders back to open up your chest. Repeat 10 times.

The Payoff: Opens up the chest and deepens your lung capacity to correct shallow breathing.

3) STANDING CHEST EXPANSION
Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, your knees slightly bent, and your arms at your sides. Inhale and sweep your arms out and up so that your biceps are near your ears and your palms are facing each other. Exhale and lower your arms back down to your sides. Repeat four times, concentrating on breathing deep and opening your chest.

The Payoff: Stretches the intercostal muscles (which lie between the ribs), relaxes the shoulders, engages the diaphragm and pelvic floor, and helps balance breathing between the left and right lungs.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/1,7120,s6-238-267–12989-0,00.html

( go to the site to see videos of the exercises)

A Dynamic Warm-Up Routine

Stretch safely—before you run.

Maybe you’ve heard that stretching before a run is a big mistake. Indeed, studies show that static stretching—holding a muscle in an elongated, fixed position for 30 seconds or more—could hurt performance if done before a workout (save it for after your run). But dynamic stretching, which uses controlled leg movements to improve range of motion, loosens up muscles and increases heart rate, body temperature, and blood flow to help you run more efficiently. Dynamic stretching is most effective when it’s sport-specific. This pre-run routine targets the muscles used for running. Start slowly, focusing on form; as the exercises get easier, pick up speed. Use small movements for the first few reps, and increase the range of motion as you go. Click on the following link to view a video of each exercise:    http://bcove.me/d5ejbh7l

LEG LIFTS
Swing one leg out to the side, then swing it back across your body in front of your other leg. Repeat 10 times on each side. Feel wobbly? Hold onto a steady object.

BUTT-KICKS
While standing tall, walk forward with an exaggerated backswing so that your heels come up to your glutes. When this is easy, try it while jogging. Do 10 reps on each side.

PIKE STRETCH
Get in a “pike” position (hips in the air). Put your right foot behind your left ankle. With your legs straight, press the heel of the left foot down. Release. Repeat 10 times on each side.

HACKY-SACK
Lift your left leg up, bending the knee so it points out. Try to tap the inside of your left foot with your right hand without bending forward. Repeat 10 times on each side.

TOY SOLDIER
Keeping your back and knees straight, walk forward, lifting your legs straight out in front and flexing your toes. Advance this by adding a skipping motion. Do 10 reps on each side.

WALKING LUNGES
Step forward using a long stride, keeping the front knee over or just behind your toes. Lower your body by dropping your back knee toward the ground. Maintain an upright posture and keep your abdominal muscles tight.

Written by Nikki Kimball a physical therapist in Bozeman, Montana, who has been named USATF’s Ultra-Runner of the Year three times.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-287–13442-0,00.html

Running in Hot Weather –

Running when it’s hot isn’t just hard–it can be dangerous. To get you prepared here’s everything new under the sun. By Paul Scott & Bob Cooper From the August 2004 issue of Runner’s World

The Hot List

Five Rules for Running in the Heat

1) Dress for success
Wear apparel that’s light in color, lightweight, and has vents or mesh. Microfiber polyesters, such as CoolMax and DuoFold, and cotton blends are good fabric choices. Also, be sure to wear sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.

2) Just say no
Caffeine, alcohol, antihistamines, and antidepressants can all have a dehydrating effect. Using them just before a run can cause you to have to hit the restroom, compounding your dehydration risk. Anti-inflammatories affect kidney function, so they should also be avoided before long, hot runs or races.

3) Drink early and often
Top off your fluid stores with 16 ounces of sports drink an hour before you head out. Then toss down seven to 10 ounces of sports drink about every 20 minutes while running. And remember: Sports drinks beat water because they contain glucose and sodium (sugar and salt), which increase your water-absorption rate, replace the electrolytes you lose in sweat, and taste good, encouraging you to drink more.

4) Make adjustments
Don’t do long runs or higher-intensity runs during the heat of the day. And when you do run at midday, try to pick running routes that afford some shade. Miami Runners Club marathon coach Ben Sowles has his marathoners proactively adjust the pace when race day is warm. “I tell them to start up to 30 seconds slower than their goal pace,” says Sowles. “Then, if they’re feeling good at the halfway point, they can gradually speed up.” Use the same pacing strategy when the temps rise during your training runs.

5) Determine your losses
Rehydrate with 16 to 24 ounces of sports drink for every pound of body weight you lose during exercise. Because sweat rates vary enormously, you can get an idea of your own sweat rate by weighing yourself naked before and after a couple of runs. If, for example, you lose one pound during a 40-minute run, it means you sweated about 16 ounces of fluid. Going forward you can then try to replenish your fluids at a rate of about 16 ounces per 40 minutes of running.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-267–8027-F,00.html

Eat More “Naked” Food

Strip away the harmful foods weighing you down! The more natural the food you eat, the less toxins you are exposed to, and the healthier it is for your body. Processed food is full of chemicals, preservatives and other substances that actually slow down your body’s metabolism and can be difficult to digest. Instead, spend most of your time at the grocery store in the produce or whole foods sections where the food has been the least tampered with. “Naked,” or natural, food gives your body the opportunity to improve digestion and help your metabolism function more efficiently.

Drink Water. And More Water.

Good news: there’s a secret ingredient that can help speed up your weight loss — and it’s free. It’s called water.

That’s right, just drinking water can help you lose more pounds in the next month. And this isn’t just quack science. Actual scientific studies have shown that people who drink more water during the day lose more weight because they feel more full before and after meals, causing them to eat less.

Water is essential for the body to carry out its normal physiological functions. When we don’t consume enough water, our body becomes dehydrated and cannot function properly. Not drinking enough water can lead to fluid retention, causing weight gain. So next time you reach for that can of soda, grab the bottle of water instead, which has no calories and will help keep your body functioning at its best.

Set a daily goal over the next 30 days to drink more water. Start slowly, drinking an extra glass before each meal or when you can remember, then slowly build up to where you’re drinking at least 64 oz per day. You’ll notice a difference not only in your appetite, but in your digestion as well.

Story by Cindy Black

Are you stuck in a rut?

Feeling like no matter what you do, you aren’t getting anywhere with your weight-loss or fitness goals? Are bad habits in the way of your progress?

We’ve all been there at one time or another. This is when you could use a little help from your friends, your spouse or your trainer. Sometimes all you need to get back on track is some practical advice. The following are proven techniques to help you overcome the harmful habits.

Fitness — Sticking With a Program

The Challenge

Why is it so hard to stay on good terms with fitness? One of the reasons is simply lack of time. Many people over schedule themselves with work, errands and their children and don’t leave time for working out. There are a number of ways to kick-start your routine and stay in the fitness groove. Once you find a training program or exercise class that fits your lifestyle, you’ll find it’s easier to schedule your workout, no matter how busy you are. And when you get used to training regularly, you’ll begin to rely on the stress-relieving benefits of exercise to get you through the day. Here are some suggestions on how to develop a healthy fitness habit.

The Fix

~ First, commit to a program. Most people try to get fit on their own, but if they don’t have structure or accountability, they can be setting themselves up for failure. The average person is not an exercise physiologist or personal trainer. They are unsure about what is the best thing to do. Hiring a professional is a good way to get you jump-started.

~ It’s important to find a program that matches your personality, your time commitment and your goals. The more you enjoy an activity the more likely you are to stick with it.

~ Try group classes or a boot camp. Not only are you being directed by a professional but also you will be encouraged by the others in class while having fun. A little healthy competition can go a long way!

~ Don’t worry about trying to find a program appropriate for your body type. Most programs will apply for all sizes, ages and abilities. Every person needs cardio conditioning, strength training and flexibility. It’s just a matter of balancing how much of each you need.

Nutrition – Eating for Weight Loss

The Challenge

If you’ve reached the point where you just don’t like the way you look or feel, it’s time to change what you’re putting in your mouth. Granted, eating healthy can be difficult, especially if you have a busy schedule, a stressful job or if you tend to snack with your children, but it can be done!

The Fix

~ Set realistic and measurable weight-loss goals. Avoid the pitfalls of setting expectations too high and giving up if you fall short. Also, enlist support from others. Share your goals with a family member, friend or co-worker. The added accountability and cheerleading can go a long way!

~ Write down everything you put in your mouth, even the Tootsie Roll from the counter at the bank and the grapes you snack on while making dinner. Many people make better choices if it has to be written down.

~ Build your environment. Make the space around you support your goals. Remove unwanted temptations like the ice cream in the freezer that calls your name in the evening. Replace empty calorie foods with nutritionally dense fruits or vegetables or heart-healthy seeds or nuts.

~ Eat every three or four hours, starting with breakfast, to keep your metabolism burning! Also, you are more apt to overeat or make poor choices when you are very hungry, so plan ahead to have nutritious food available throughout the day.

~ Build and protect muscle by strength training two to three times per week to increase your metabolism. Weight bearing activity also promotes bone health and combats diabetes.

~ Develop coping mechanisms for dealing with stress in place of mindless eating. Strategies may be going for a walk, reading a book, doing yoga or calling a friend.

You can take charge of your life! It just takes a well-designed plan and the three Ds: Desire, Determination and Dedication.

For help formulating your plan contact:

Cindy Black at the Fitness Studio, (910) 575-0975, www.cme2bfit.com, email: cindy@cme2bfit.com

Sooner or later, it is going to happen.
Everyone else starts to look so young. Their walk still has a bounce to it. Their legs still slide into sexy jeans. Their bums are still firm.
So when you find yourself wanting to skip the workout and dash off for a pedicure or hair touch-up instead, don’t go there, dearie.
One person who makes 65 feel like 45 is Jonnye Clark of Jamison, Pa. She wouldn’t consider skipping a workout. She works four days a week as branch manager for an investment firm, works out regularly and still finds time for pedicures. They’re “how I treat myself,” she says.
“My philosophy about aging is you can’t hit a moving target.”
Clark maps out her week around physical activities, which fitness experts recommend as a way of strengthening your body and boosting emotional and mental energy.
“Make a point of doing some kind of daily activity, or at the very least three days a week, and the more consistent you are over time, the better you’ll feel,” says Marjorie Albohm, president of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association.
Albohm says it’s never too late for Baby Boomers and people in older generation groups to get going again and appreciate the rewards.
“Sometimes you gain weight or it’s harder to exercise and you get discouraged,” she says. “But you have to get to the point of saying, ‘I’m making this a part of my life from this point forward.’ ”
Clark is the perfect role model, Albohm says. She gets regular aerobic activity and resistance training and works on flexibility, all prescribed by the Department of Health and Human Services in its physical activity guidelines as a way to reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases and promote good health.
Studies show exercise and weight training can also prevent bone loss, a concern for Clark. “I was already getting shorter and losing muscle mass,” she says.
A former ballerina who started dancing when she was 5 and continued through high school, Clark has had to modify her activities as she ages. No more ballet, for instance.
“When I was dancing, I was going to the local Y and dancing on hard, wooden floors, which everyone knows now isn’t good for you,” she says.
Her spine suffered. She had to have back surgery six years ago. Then she got going again, and hasn’t looked back.
She does Pilates one or two days a week, swims and gets on the treadmill or elliptical at her gym, and is religious about using the weight machines. She looks forward to getting back out on the golf course when the weather warms up.
“The Pilates really helped me get the flexibility back in my back” and has improved her balance and overall strength, she says.
The ability to bid farewell to a past exercise love and adopt new ones is key, Albohm says, especially for people who develop arthritis as they age and feel pain and stiffness in their joints. Exercise is a powerful tool in managing arthritis, research shows.
“Boomers, especially, who might have been high-intensity athletes in their younger years, have a hard time learning how to modify,” she says. “They can’t jog or run anymore because their knees hurt. But in trying new things, people can find things they love doing.
“It’s very, very important to keep people mobile and strong.”
And to slide into those sexy jeans

Are you only using the machines at the gym? 

Join the wave of functional training!

Functional training mimicks movements you may use in day to day life to make those chores easier.  You will train your whole body as one unit by using core strength, stability and multi-directional movements.          Train the athlete within!

If you are looking to improve your golf game – functional training is for you!

If you are looking to improve your balance – functional training is for you!

If you simply want to look and feel better – functional training is for you!!!

Call today to set up an appointment and workout smarter tomorrow.

Cindy Black – BodyEDGE Personal Training – 910.471.4500