Exercise: Push Through or Pull Out?

I find there are two predominant personality types, those who push themselves to nearly inhumane limits and those who give up at the slightest pang of resistance or pain. This is particularly true at the gym, so I thought I'd share my thoughts as a health and fitness professional regarding when to stop and when to push through while exercising.

The first critical assessment that needs to be addressed is whether the resistance to working out is coming from the Mind or the Body. If it's the Mind: PUSH THROUGH! If it's the Body, well, we'll talk about that in a bit. Overcoming mental barriers may take a considerable amount of practice, particularly for those who are not used to exercise and have not yet made it part of their normal routine. The Mind dislikes change above all things. Think of any new habit that you've started or, still more difficult, trying to quit a habit. For most people the Mind becomes addicted to routine and even though we all know exercise is beneficial for both the Body as well as the Mind, making it a habit is extremely difficult and takes a phenomenal amount of will power, especially considering the starting up process can be a bit uncomfortable for the Body as well.

Nine years ago when I started my journey I would cringe, hell sometimes even cry, at the thought of getting out of bed, putting my puppy in his kennel so I wouldn't accidentally stomp on him, and popping in my Hip Hop Abs workout DVD. Somedays it would be my Mind begging me not to start up the same old 40 minute workout, which involved listening to a ridiculously flamboyant yet ripped instructor, Shawn T, and doing the hilariously ludicrous dance moves; other days it would be my extremely sore and fatigued Body. The irony that I was a 120kg white girl attempting to execute hip hop dance choreography to drop fat and tone my horribly out of shape body was not at all lost on me. I would often laugh out loud at myself, knowing I must look completely absurd. Yet somehow I pushed through. That tiny voice inside my brain that screamed "Please, for the love of God, your Body and your health, get your lazy ass out of bed and MOVE!" had miraculously won out. Some people aren't able to hear that voice however, and that's why personal trainers are extremely valuable. I am gladly that voice for others!

Over time as I stuck with it and started to see results that voice became even stronger. In the coming months I'd even look forward to my routine. Once I was under 80kg and confident enough to enter a gym I expanded my routine and started running, which again set my Mind to coming up with all sorts of excuses to stop and give up. This was when I came up with my 10 Minute Cardio Rule: No matter how much I wanted to stop, regardless of all the mental resistance or muscle soreness, I made myself stay on the piece of equipment, be it a treadmill, bike, cross trainer or row machine, for a minimum of 10 minutes. After 10 minutes if I still wasn't feeling it, I could stop. Nine times out of ten, however, after 10 minutes my Mind would quiet down and my achy muscles would loosen, glad for the extra blood flow, and I'd realise that doing the next 20 minutes wouldn't be so bad, especially if I was listening to a good playlist, reading an interesting book or watching a movie to help pass the time.

Getting to this level takes time, practice and determination (and a bit of crazy)! But once you're there, boy do you love that Runner's High!

Now onto the Bodily aspect of this dilemma. As stated above, if it's run of the mill muscle soreness push through. People who think soreness is an acceptable excuse to cut out a workout, well, I hate to tell you but it's not. If muscles are sore get some blood flowing through them and move! Afterwards give them a nice long stretch and drink plenty of water to help ease the soreness. People new to fitness should expect some soreness, and so should people training towards a specific goal. For example, when I trained for my half marathon there were days I could barely walk let alone run, yet somehow I'd take to the road and bang out my 10 mile training run. How, one might ask? I knew if I didn't run I'd never reach my goal of finishing the race, and I really wanted to finish that race! Still better, when I pushed through and proved to myself I could run despite the soreness I felt like a champion. It gave me confidence that no matter how my Body might feel on race day I could accomplish my goal.

Like the Mind, the Body resists change. Evolutionarily it functions to maintain homeostasis, so changing it and reaching fitness goals takes effort and will definitely include some serious soreness and even some mild-ish pain. So here's my advice: Suck it up Buttercup! I have a lot of clients and they all put up little fights in various, and often humorous, ways. One likes to complain that they're getting really hot, to which I reply "Really?! Could that be because you're lifting heavy weights?!"Another repeatedly tells me that they can't do the movement or handle the weight while they are LITERALLY doing it, so I make sure they feel supported and encourage them to keep going. My favourite is when clients look at the weight I'm about to ask them to lift and tell me they can't do it without even trying! And guess what, no one has ever been completely unable to do what I ask of them. They always end up surprised by their own strength and feeling better about themselves; one of the many reasons I love my job.

So, when do you stop? If you FEEL a sharp or shooting snap, crackle or pop of pain in a joint (Ankle, Knee, Hip, Elbow, Shoulder, Wrist or Neck), or FEEL a muscle, tendon or ligament tear, STOP IMMEDIATELY. Also STOP if you feel sharp pains in the chest, significantly high heart rate, or feel lightheaded and/or dizzy. Assess the situation by lifting low weights and stretching the area, and get professional help if injured or the Body doesn't recover within 5-10 minutes of rest.

The joints will often make popping sounds as air works its way out and/or cartilage moves around, but it should not hurt. Be conscious of persistent pain that becomes constant over time and repetition. Any persistent pain is a cue to stop pushing through it and address the underlying issue. Chronic pain often leads to issues that could become extremely limiting and difficult to heal if not addressed by adequate stretching and mobility exercises. For example, my left knee is currently out of commission due to the way that I walk as well as some inherent muscle imbalances. Does this mean I don't train? Absolutely Not! It means I try exercises and stop if my knee starts to seriously talk to me (or scream as the case may be), which basically limits me to biking, swimming and rowing. One day during spin class, which usually doesn't bother my knee, I felt a stab of pain while spinning in a standing position so I opted to remain seated for the rest of the class and go at an extremely easy pace. By comparison, when my wrist begins to hurt in class I take note of my position, make adjustments that ease the pain and keep going. Though I haven't stopped training because of my knee, I have altered how and how long I train in order to work through my injury. I now focus less on cardio and more on stretching and strengthening the muscles around my knee which will adjust the misalignments and help it recover.

It's also worth mentioning that excessive training leads to burnout which is a real physiological issue that causes the adrenal glands to malfunction (follow the hyperlinks for some more information as I'm not an expert). Additionally, excessive fatigue may restrict exercise and should be addressed if persistent. Lastly, as far as illnesses such as the common cold are concerned, it's ok to workout at a lighter intensity so long as the infection doesn't effect your ability to breath properly.  Evidence even suggests that exercise can be beneficial.

The take home message is to be aware of the Mind and Body during exercise. The default should be to push through unless there is physical evidence that a workout would be detrimental to your emotional state or might cause damage to the Body. 

Dear Amanda

Hey Sis,

I can't believe it's been 10 years since we last spoke on your 25th birthday. I'll always remember that conversation and your hilarious comment about Grandpa being so racist that he'd shout at the TV when a black person won on The Price is Right. Writing this letter is something I've thought about for a long time, but just couldn't get the balls to write it. No one in our family has ever dealt with emotional pain well, always opting for some drug, alcohol or food to avoid our feelings and ease our broken minds. The day Mom called to tell me you were dead was the worst day of my life, everything in me went cold and numb. I'm not sure how I made it through the following days, I just remember being weirded out by Mom and Dad standing next to each other at your funeral, Sarah and I knew you'd have felt the same.  Oddly I don't feel much different or older since we last talked but holy shit have things changed! You'd absolutely shit yourself if you could see me now; I'd also like to think you'd be really proud of me.

The 22 year old graduate student you left behind, morbidly obese with a sedentary life and shitty eating habits, drunk more often than not, and a mean streak like a viper; she's totally changed. It took place so gradually I'm not even sure how the hell it happened. Things got worse before they got better. When you first left I kind of lost my shit and took to getting utterly wasted and being reckless, laughing madly as I drove around Denver knowing full well that I was compromising everything I had, my license, my degree, my freedom and even my life; I didn't care and it scared me.

I want to sincerely thank you, Amanda. Your death caused a couple of shifts that I'll be forever grateful for; mostly that it brought me closer to Sarah and made me take stock of my own life. It reminded me that no one knows how much time they've got left and if there's something we want to do we'd better damn-well get on with it. At some point all the times I felt disgusted with myself and my body became too much so I decided to lose weight but went on a bit of a different diet than you did, though everyone believed I'd just become addicted to crack too, hahaha. The first time Mom saw me after I'd lost about half the weight she couldn't hug me because I looked so much like you. Everyone at the bar back home kept mistaking me for you as well, which gave me mixed feelings of shame and pride. Still more years of seemingly endless trial and error in the pursuit of happiness led me through countless changes; I left my PhD program, spent some time with a guy I thought I'd marry (I'll spare you those details!), moved to Kansas of all places, burned through many jobs low and high from McDonald's to Pharmaceutical Management, and finally found myself in New Zealand where I finally figured out how I could find peace and happiness within myself, or at least as much as I'm likely to obtain. You'll never believe it but I'm a health and fitness coach, personal trainer and Pilates instructor! I can almost hear you saying, "what the fuck is pilates?!"

The ASS Sisters: Amanda, Summer and Sarah

Sometimes I miss you so bad it stops me in my tracks, a distinct pain I feel in my chest. I'll look at a phone and want to call you, hear your voice. I unexpectedly found a couple of letters you had written me from jail a few years ago; I read them from time to time, laugh at your horrible spelling and smile at your descriptions of jailhouse antics. Mostly I wonder what you would say, so many things things have drastically changed in this crazy world since you left, no doubt it would involve copious amounts of swearing. I'm sorry for the times your addictions made me distance myself from you. As I get older and become more aware of my own mental demons, I can't imagine how badly you suffered and feel comforted by the fact that wherever you or, you're better off there then you were here. I keep my share of you and your many body piercings in a pretty blue bag that hangs on my wall; I bet you never thought you'd live in New Zealand! Luckily the people at customs didn't notice I had illegal ashes in my pack. You'd be happy to know you slightly resemble cocaine now, and Sarah and I used to joke that you'd snort yourself if you were here.

I think what scares me the most now is that all I have are memories which no doubt have been distorted over time, but since you were a pathological liar I doubt you'd have an issue with that, haha. What's real are my memories of the odd combination of cold metal and soft lips when you'd kiss my cheek as well as your voice; how it sounded when you said "You are my heart, I love you Summie" so many times that night you were drunk and high, and I had brought my ultimate frisbee team up from Rochester for a game in Canada. I was so fucking embarrassed then, but I'm thankful now that it was burned into my brain.

I'm not sure when we'll meet again or what our bodies will look like, but I look forward to the day I'll recognise your Soul and smile, probably as you slap me for some reason or another.

Love You Sis,
Summie

To Eat or Not To Eat (Before Training); That is the Question......

Many of my clients have asked me whether or not to eat before training, while others have decided not to for reasons usually pertaining to a lack of time. The latter group also experience the repercussions of having no fuel for their session; so I wanted to take some time to write down my thoughts and knowledge for all to peruse and use as they see fit.

Like all things in Health and Fitness there is no right or wrong answer here. What you eat and when you eat it will depend on what your Body needs and, most importantly, your specific Fitness goals. It's critical to listen to your Body; play around with your pre- and post- exercise foods and their quantities until you feel strong and adequately fuelled throughout your workout.

General

The most critical thing to do before training is ensure that the metabolism is up and going so that your body can get the most out of the workout. This means that if you train in the morning you should eat at least a light breakfast before going to the gym or heading out for a run. For those who train after work or in the evening, if it's been more than four (4) hours since your last meal, anything from a light snack to a full meal may be necessary depending on what you'd like to accomplish during the session.

Weight Loss - Cardio

For people trying to loss significant weight, cardio training should be the primary method of dropping kilos/pounds fast. If you have a lot of fat reserves and weight to loss it's less important that you eat before exercise unless you plan to do over an hour of training. Some fast-burning sugars, such as those found in fruit, is sufficient to kickstart the metabolism and power through the workout (e.g. a Banana/Apple).  Plan to eat a nice balanced meal of lean protein, veggies and smart complex carbohydrates anywhere from thirty (30) minutes to one (1) hour after training to refuel and recover. Endurance cardio, such as running or biking more than an hour will require more substantial nutrition as discussed below.

Fitness Magazine's Guide on Before and After Workout Food

Muscle Gain/Bulking - Lifting

If a client is going to crash on me they do it about ten (10) minutes into a lifting session. When I ask if they ate before the session the answer is always 'No.' Let me be clear, if your goal is to bulk you need to eat a phenomenal amount of food; before and after workouts, and pretty much every other time you're breathing. The issue here is hypoglycaemia, or low blood sugar.  The muscles require a lot of sugar to lift weight and without the proper pre-workout fuel the muscles very quickly take all the available sugar out of the blood and then it's night-night time. Some people, like myself, get hypoglycaemia very easily and need to be particularly careful. In this case a full balanced meal is required about one (1) hour before the session. Additionally, it is a good idea to have fast recovery food with you such as almonds, fruit and/or high protein drinks in case you experience a drop during the workout.  Staying away from caffeine prior to exercise is also a good idea since it causes blood sugar levels to become unstable.

The function of each food group is critical in establishing a stable blood sugar level, which will keep you powered-up and strong throughout your workout:

• Complex Carbohydrates (Oatmeal, Whole Grain Bread, Kumara, Potato): These are big chains of simple sugars which take a long time to break down so you'll have a constant supply of sugar for your muscles over a long period of time as the food is broken down during digestion.
• Fruit/Veggies (Banana, Apple, Broccoli, Cauliflower): High in simple sugars as well as fibre, these foods will also ensure that a steady stream of sugar seeps into the bloodstream. Particularly the fibre delays the breakdown during digestion.
• Fat (Peanut Butter, Almonds/Nuts, Pumpkin Seeds, Avocado, Eggs): Having some type of fat is critical for a lifting session because they are the most effective in stabilising blood sugar. Again, this works because fat, like fibre and long chains of carbs, take a long time for the body to breakdown. Fat, however, has the added benefit of being the most high-energy compound out of the three (3) main nutritional components (protein, carb, fat). Just be aware that high-energy also means high calories, so a little fat goes a long way!
• Lean Protein (Chicken, Fish, Tofu, Greek Yogurt, Eggs): Protein metabolism also takes time, but the Body mostly needs it to repair the muscles you shred while lifting. I know that sounds a bit painful, but getting stronger and building muscle literally requires tearing it by repetitious lifting then allowing it to heal through stretching, adequate rest, and most importantly, EATING PROPERLY.

The main point is to eat a type of sugar (Carb/Fruit) and then seal in the bloodstream levels with fibre, fat and/or protein.

Hope you found this helpful, and feel free to sing out if you'd like help figuring out what may be right for your Body and your workouts.

What Squirrel Fitness Can Offer You!

Why I Want to Be a Fitness Coach

I'm Summer, an American born New Zealand Resident trained as a Scientist but who would much rather help and motivate people. For those who know me and are familiar with my story, it would come as no surprise that becoming a personal trainer is my dream job. Nutrition, fitness, mental health and comprehensive well-being have been my passion and hobby since I undertook a serious weight loss program just prior to my 23rd birthday (almost 9 years ago, yikes!). For now I'll omit the emotional aspects of this transition and state the numbers. After a lifetime of obesity and frequent half-hearted attempts to lose weight through intermittent exercise, Slim Fast and Dexatrim diets; I walked into LA Weight Loss on July 23, 2007 and weighed in at 239 lbs (108 kg). In October of 2008, after 14 months of relentless self control and discipline, I reached my goal weight of 130 lbs (59 kg). For the last 4 years I've stayed around 123 lbs (56 kg). I started in size 22 pants, XXL shirts and size 10 shoes, and ended in size 4 pants, XS-S shirts and 9.5 shoes [American sizes]; turns out there's not much fat on your feet, though doing Yoga and getting rid of the weight on my spine enabled me to grow an inch!

There were a lot of reasons why I wanted to lose weight, but it basically boiled down to the fact that I was no longer happy with my Body. I felt uncomfortable, I felt that I was missing out on opportunities in life due to my obesity, and most of all, I didn't want to fit the stereotype of another fat American with Type 2 diabetes (for a full description listen to my Podcast called "Fat Chronicles: Part 1). Once I was shown what to eat and how to moderate portions dieting was simple, the weight melted off and I physically couldn't eat all the food in my prescribed diet plan. I knew, however, that without an exercise component to my diet losing the weight would take a lot longer and I'd be prone to frustrating plateaus. Too heavy for some gym equipment and mortified at the thought of working out amongst a bunch of skinny chicks and hardbodies, I started the Hip Hop Abs exercise program in the comfort of my apartment. As lame as it seemed, and felt while hopping around my living room like a spastic white whale, it actually worked! One excruciatingly painful morning after another I hauled my sorry ass out of bed, put my puppy in his kennel so I couldn't trample him, and began my daily romp. There were mornings I would rather bang my face against a wall than do that stupid workout; the thought of getting out of bed and starting the DVD literally made me feel ill, but I pushed through and after about a month I found that I'd be halfway through my workout without even realising it. It had become habit, and a habit I still have to this very day: Get up, eat a light balanced meal, exercise. 

Sticking tight to my routine, the next 10 months were steady periods of weight loss mixed with plateaus when I'd loose inches off various areas instead of pounds. The issues started when I plateaued hard at 145 lbs (66 kg); I was so close to my goal that I became obsessed with losing the final 15 lbs. Soon it became common practice to workout 2-3 hours a day while eating 800-1200 calories a day. I stopped menstruating, I cut all fat out of my diet and my hair began to fall out, my eyes lost their glow and became hallow dark circles. My body was in starvation mode and my brain did not have the nutrition it needed to think clearly and logically; I had no idea that my behaviour had become dangerous, all I knew was to diet until I reached my goal. Everything I ate was carefully weighed and measured so I knew its caloric impact; I even restricted chewing sugar free gum because each piece contained 5 calories. Unfortunately by that time LA Weight Loss as a company had gone under, I had no support structure and no one to tell me that my obsession was quickly transitioning into an eating disorder. I lost almost all of my friends, some because I refused to go out for drinks or meals, terrified I'd consume calories I hadn't planned into that days allotment. Others I'd lost because they couldn't stand to watch me continue to self destruct. Ironically I had set out to lose weight and become healthy, yet I ended up skinny and as unfit as ever.

It's been nearly 8 years since those dark days, and it got worse before it got better. Here's what I learned after all this time: Health is not a state of the Body, it is a state of the Mind. Whether overweight, ideal or underweight health is attainable through proper nutrition, exercise, social support, acceptance of our imperfections and, most importantly, laughter!
I've learned this critical lesson the hard way which is why I want to be a personal trainer. I desperately want to coach those ready to make a commitment to comprehensive health as well as investing in their quality of life through fitness and nutrition. MY GOAL IS TO SAFELY GUIDE MY CLIENTS THROUGH THEIR OWN JOURNEY TO HEALTH, EMPOWERING THEM WITH KNOWLEDGE, PROVIDING RELENTLESS SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT, AND HAVING A LOT OF FUN ALONG THE WAY! 

Squirrel Fitness includes a plethora of services that will be customised to each clients needs and implemented to meet their goals; food plans and exercise regimens will be tailored to client's lifestyles, work and family obligations and take into consideration what they enjoy doing and how they prefer to incorporate fitness into their everyday lives'. From personal training sessions to educational shopping trips, walking/running groups, social events to reinforce a support network, and everything in-between, I will work tirelessly to provide my clients with the resources they need to achieve their individual goals. 

Here's what I need from my clients: Give me a call, schedule a consult and show up with a positive attitude and willingness to try; leave the rest to me! 

MAKE A GOAL AND HAVE A GO!