Focus on Fitness: Is your attempt at wellness more of a ‘wellmess’?

By Gloria Schwartz

I was recently doing a post-workout stretch when I looked down and noticed the word “Wellness” printed on the mat. As I looked at that word, I imagined “wellmess” – a word that doesn’t exist but probably should, to reflect the feelings of confusion we sometimes experience as a result of all of the misinformation about diets and exercise.

For example, we’ve heard for several years that we should be walking 10,000 steps (about five miles) each day for optimal health. Where did this recommendation come from? It turns out that a Japanese company selling pedometers in the 1960s created the 10,000-steps guideline to sell pedometers. If you use a step-tracking device, you needn’t feel anxious or guilty if you don’t walk 10,000 steps. A four-year study of 16,000 older women found that they achieved a decrease in mortality rates with just 4,400 steps per day. Compared to less active women who walked an average of 2,700 steps daily, the mortality rate of the more active group dropped until the women reached 7,500 steps per day. After that, there was no added benefit of walking more steps. It may be unrealistic and intimidating for someone who has been sedentary for many years to suddenly get in 10,000 per day. Rather, starting with more modest goals and building up over time can be more achievable and may result in significant health benefits. https://tinyurl.com/y4monad9

Diets are always a hot topic and there’s so much conflicting information about them. So many people swear by this diet or that diet, but most of the successes attributed to any given diet are anecdotal rather than scientifically supported. If you put individual results and personal feelings aside, the truth is that most diets are similar in that they’re some form of caloric reduction based on restricting or increasing fat, carbohydrates or protein. To help clear up some confusion, a panel of experts reviewed the top 35 most popular diets in terms of sustainability, nutritional soundness, weight loss and long-term health implications. The Keto Diet – a fad diet based on high fat and very low carb consumption – ranked as one of the worst diets at number 34. The trendy Paleo Diet – eating like a pre-agricultural caveman so no dairy, grains or legumes and high in protein – ranked low at number 29. It was considered too restrictive to be healthy or sustainable.

What were the highest ranked diets? It didn’t surprise me that the most sensible diets – the Mediterranean Diet and the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) were in the top two positions respectively. Those diets are proven to be healthy and sustainable. They include a variety of healthy foods such as fruits, nuts, vegetables, fish and olive oil, and eating less meat, sugar and saturated fat. The DASH Diet also includes reduced sodium intake. Benefits of these diets, coupled with an active lifestyle, include heart and brain health, cancer prevention and the prevention and management of diabetes. Visit https://tinyurl.com/y55a5anv to see the diet rankings and read about each type of diet.

There’s also confusion and misinformation around the types of exercise that are the best for overall health and weight management. Should you do cardio exercise or strength-building exercise or a combination? Doing a variety of types of exercise is your best bet for improving longevity and health. It doesn’t matter what activities you choose. If you despise aerobics classes, find something else you can do for your cardiorespiratory system such as brisk walking, riding a bicycle or swimming. If you don’t want to lift weights, find other activities to strengthen your bones and muscles, such as chores or exercises that require lifting, pushing and pulling. Keep challenging yourself, don’t be afraid to break a sweat or get your hair messy. Engage in physical activities that give you positive physical and emotional results, so you’ll stay motivated in the long term. There’s no quick fix.

One way to sift through information is to ask yourself whether something sounds too good to be true. Some truths: There are healthy foods but no miracle foods, “superfoods” are just foods high in nutrients; Yoga or dietary cleanses do not detox your body, your organs naturally detox your body; You can’t spot reduce fat, your belly fat will not go away with crunches, no matter how many you do. Gullible or misinformed people who jump on the bandwagon with fads and ignore facts waste their time and money and may risk their health.

Focus on Fitness: What keeps you motivated past January?

Gloria Schwartz

By Gloria Schwartz

How’s the year going for you so far in terms of your fitness and overall well-being? Did you start off the year with enthusiasm for living a healthier lifestyle? Has your enthusiasm fizzled out? Perhaps you started a diet or made a few tweaks to your eating habits. Or maybe you joined a gym or decided to increase your daily step count. Whether you made plans for big or small improvements, efforts can sometimes be short-lived. For some people, the hardest part is getting started – that is, turning thoughts into action. For others, the hardest part is sustaining motivation in the long-term.

Positivity can be a factor that drives you in the right direction. Because we’re bombarded with negativity on a daily basis – whether on the news, on social media or from people in our lives – we may need to proactively seek out positivity. There are many ways to do that.

Toward the end of December, I asked my clients if they’d like to do a free gift exchange. I told them that if they emailed me some positive feedback, I would do the same for them. I received several thoughtful messages that made me feel appreciated as their trainer and I then emailed them personalized messages including praise for their hard work and for overcoming various challenges. We often take for granted that the people in our lives know how we feel about them; however, this isn’t always the case. Taking a few moments to tell someone something positive about your relationship with them or about them as individuals can have a lasting impact and provide much needed encouragement.

Something I started on the first day of the new year is taking one photo of myself each day when I do something physically active. Either I take a selfie or I ask someone to take a photo of me. The purpose is to motivate myself to increase my physical activity, either by exercising more regularly (daily is ideal) or increasing the intensity and variety of my workouts. So far it has been a lot of fun. I edit each photo on my cellphone to include the date and I keep the photos together in a folder. When I open the folder, I can see the series of photos and what I did on each day. There are a few missing days when I didn’t exercise but there are many more days when I did do something. And it’s fun to see the variety of activities, such as weightlifting, yoga, pickleball, running, trampolining and attending various classes.

Whatever the time of year, it’s not too late for you to take stock of your fitness activities using whatever methods work for you. For many years, well over a decade actually, I have been noting what exercise I do each day. I keep the notes very brief. For example, one day may say “full-body workout” and another day may say “attended boxing class” or “ran 5 km.” The point of my list is that it allows me to see at a glance all of the positive things I have done for my fitness and health. It’s very motivating to see the list grow over time. It’s like a bank account. Each time I make a deposit, the account balance gets bigger. Health is wealth after all.

Another way to increase or maintain your motivation may be to consider your intentions. Reflect on the reasons underlying your actions or inactions. Why are you exercising? Are you doing it to improve your health? Perhaps you’re living with chronic disease or your doctor has alerted you to some risk factors (e.g., low HDL cholesterol) that you may be able to control better with exercise. Similarly, think about your dietary habits. Why do you eat the way you do and what are the consequences? Do you feel better physically when you make healthier choices? Has an occasional treat become more of a regular eating pattern that has led to unwanted weight gain or health problems? It’s easy to ignore why we do what we do and simply act out of habit or take the path of least resistance. It’s most comforting but not always most helpful to do what’s the least psychologically distressing. Once we face the truth and understood the whys, we can be better equipped mentally to make the necessary adjustments to our lifestyle behaviours. The key is to find positive approaches that work for you.

Focus on Fitness: Pickleball – Is this fast-growing sport for you?

Gloria Schwartz

By Gloria Schwartz

Are you a natural-born athlete? Have you always excelled at sports? If you answered “yes,” you might enjoy pickleball. If you answered “no,” you might also enjoy pickleball.

Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in North America, due in part to ageing baby boomers and the suitability of the game to all levels of athleticism. Millions of people play pickleball. Pickleball requires less strength and speed than tennis, so it’s suited to people who may not be as fast or agile as they used to be. Pickleball is also suited to people who don’t want to risk injuries that can occur in contact sports. Pickleball is also gaining popularity with children because it’s easy to learn and it’s inexpensive.

If tennis and badminton had a baby, it would be pickleball. The game was haphazardly invented in 1965 by two American men who cobbled together the sport using a badminton net and ping-pong paddles. According to legend, one of them had a dog named Pickles who’d fetch the ball, hence the name Pickleball.

You play pickleball with a paddle similar to a ping-pong paddle. You use a lightweight hollow ball about the size of a tennis ball that looks like a golf Wiffle Ball. You can play pickleball indoors or outdoors on a court with a net. Two players can play in a singles match or four players in a doubles match.

I first heard of pickleball about three years ago while on a cruise. I didn’t know how to play but I tried to hit the ball back and forth over the net with my husband on the cruise ship’s deck. The wind and the motion of the ship made it a bit difficult. On that cruise we met an older American couple who told us about the fun they have playing pickleball outdoors in their Florida retirement community.

Fast-forward three years and I learned the Soloway Jewish Community Centre (SJCC) now has pickleball sessions three times per week. I peeked in the gym one day to see what it was about. Some of the players seemed quite skilled, other less so. They let me give it a try. It was fun! I forgot about pickleball until recently when I decided it might be a fun activity to do weekly.

At first, I didn’t know the rules or how to keep score. I didn’t know the terminology such as “dinking,” lightly tapping the ball over the net, “falafel,” hitting the ball too short, and “the kitchen” the demarcated area in front of the net from which you’re not allowed to hit the ball unless it first bounces. I didn’t know how to properly hit backhand. I didn’t know how hard or how gently to hit the ball in order to stay within the lines of the court. It turned out that what I didn’t know was less important than my enthusiasm and effort. The other players were mostly men of an age group older than myself and a few women. Everyone was helpful and encouraging. After a couple of sessions, I felt comfortable playing. We sometimes rotated players on teams to allow less experienced players such as myself and my friend to play with more experienced players. The players were there to have a good time and give everyone a chance to learn.

After a few weeks, I purchased my own pickleball paddle and became a self-proclaimed official pickleballer. I learned the rules and how to keep score. With each game I became increasingly proficient at serving, staying within the boundaries most of the time and hitting backhand.

I even invented a new way of hitting that I call the “Schwartz Manoeuvre.” When the ball comes at me at high speed and I don’t have time to run backwards, I instinctively go into a goofy-looking squat and whack the ball upwards with my paddle between my knees. It’s unconventional, but it works. I have fun playing pickleball and for me that’s the most important aspect.

It’s never too late to try something new. Even if you’re out of shape or not used to playing sports, you can enjoy pickleball. You can learn more about pickleball, including the rules, and find places to play at www.pickleballcanada.org. If you’re a member of the SJCC, pickleball is included in your membership. You can register for a session at www.jccottawa.com/pickleball-registration.