Vancouver Fitness: Preventing Diabetes Through Exercise

Most people know that diabetes is a chronic disease caused by high blood sugar, and that it can be controlled, though not cured, by insulin. Fewer people know that diabetes can cause kidney damage, nerve damage, blurry vision, blindness, and heart and circulation difficulties. And, even fewer know that in many cases, Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or controlled without medication, by a commitment to exercise and healthy living habits.

After you eat, and the glucose you ingested leaves your intestine and enters your bloodstream, there are only two places in your body that sugar can be stored: your muscles and your liver. When your muscles are not exercised they become full of sugar, leaving nowhere for it to be stored after it enters your bloodstream. Over time, this can cause diabetes.

There are different types of exercise that help prevent the onset of diabetes, and they work in a variety of ways. To begin, there is strength training. Strong muscles help fight diabetes, because they use the insulin in your body to change excess glucose into glycogen. Your body then stores this glycogen in your body as fuel instead of storing sugar, thus lowering your blood sugar level. Moreover, when you are engaged in the actual act of lifting weights, you are using the glucose stored in your muscles as fuel to complete your exercises, resulting in a further decrease in your blood sugar level. Essentially, you empty the sugar from your muscles by exercising them.

Next is “intense” exercise. A study done at Yale, and published in the Journal of Applied Physiology in January 2006, showed how exercising intensely does far more in preventing diabetes than working out at a more leisurely or moderate pace. In this study, a group of healthy, non-obese, inactive women aged 72 and older were divided into groups, and participated in hard, moderate or easy exercise training programs. All three groups burned 300 calories per exercise session, but the intense group was the only one to show a significant improvement in their ability to use sugar and suppress fat formation. In other words, when you exercise more intensely, you empty the sugar from your muscles more quickly.

But don’t let this information scare you. Jumping into strength training or an intense exercise program might sound intimidating, especially if you aren’t used to living an active lifestyle. The good news is, they aren’t the only ways to help prevent the onset of diabetes. Cardiovascular exercise, such as jogging, swimming or using an exercise bike, increases your blood flow, therefore burning the extra glucose your body doesn’t need. And, a combination of strength training and cardiovascular exercise will help keep your weight down, further lowering the risk of getting Type 2 diabetes.

Still intimidated? There’s more good news. A recent study published in the British Medical Journal showed that simply walking, running or jogging 10 000 steps per day improves your insulin sensitivity, which in turn reduces your risk of developing diabetes. This study, conducted by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, showed that middle-aged adults who increased the number of steps they took daily over a five-year period to reach 10 000, had a threefold improvement in their insulin sensitivity when compared to a similar person who increased to only 3000 steps.

10 000 sounds like a lot; it’s the equivalent of approximately eight kilometers. So while it’s an excellent goal to aim for, don’t be discouraged if you don’t get there right away. And, there is more good news: a 2006 study called the Diabetes Prevention Program shows that walking just 30 minutes per day five days per week, along with maintaining a healthy diet, can cut the risk of diabetes in half for high-risk patients.

So what does this all mean for you? It means that no matter where you are on the activity scale, or how comfortable you feel with exercise, there are steps you can take to prevent the onset of diabetes. Even better: there’s always room to grow, and new goals to strive for.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer. For further information call 604-420-7800 or go to www.karpfitness.com.

Stay True to Your Fitness Resolution

You’ve committed to making a New Year’s Resolution. That’s the easy part. The tricky part is following through, and staying committed when the excitement of the holiday season is just a distant memory. The unfortunate truth is, that of all the people who make a New Year’s Resolution, only 20 percent stick with it all year. Here are some tips to help you to achieve your fitness-related resolution.

Take your time
You don’t want to burn yourself out, so don’t try to do everything at once. It’s okay to start slow. Don’t force yourself to spend two hours at the gym every day, when you’ve never even been on a treadmill before— that’s a quick way to intimidate yourself right out of your resolution. Start by going twice a week for 30 minutes, and work your way up from there. And, don’t become frustrated if it takes a while to get used to such a dramatic lifestyle change– most experts agree that it takes about 21 days to create a habit, and six months for it to actually become a regular part of your daily life.

Monitor improvements with more than just the scale
Remember that muscle weighs more than fat. Pay attention to how you look and feel, rather than focusing on the number on the scale. Get your body fat tested regularly, and pay attention to improvements in your strength and cardiovascular fitness. Are you noticing it takes longer to grow out of breath on the treadmill? Did you increase the weight on the leg press? And, take notice of how your clothes fit—it’s possible that even if your weight is maintained, your jeans could feel looser. These are some more pertinent ways to monitor your success.

Increase your enjoyment level
What sounds like more fun: spending an hour at the gym, or a day at the ski hill? If you say the ski hill, you’re not alone. That’s why it’s a good idea to combine the gym and outdoor activities to increase your enjoyment level, and make fitness feel like less of a chore. Take advantage of the winter months by going skiing, snowshoeing or ice skating. If it’s above zero and dry, go for an afternoon hike. And as the temperature starts to rise, try tennis, climb a mountain, or spend an afternoon kayaking. There are plenty of fun, active activities you can take part in to supplement your time at the gym.

If you would like a personal trainer in Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Richmond or North Vancouver call 604-420-7800. We are here to help you lose weight, increase your strength, and achieve all of your fitness goals!

Getting the Skinny on Types of Fat

“Fat” gets treated like a dirty word. We avoid it like the plague, searching for “fat-free” labels on food and depriving ourselves of a spoonful of ranch dressing on our salads. But the truth is, fat is an essential part of a healthy diet. Fat helps maintain our body temperature, protects our organs and body tissue, and is absolutely essential for carrying fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. In addition, some fats play a large role in brain development, proper wound healing, vitamin absorption, regulating metabolism, controlling inflammation, and skin and hair growth.

So why does fat get such a bad rap? Because over-consumption can cause serious problems. Obesity is an excessive accumulation of body fat. Excess body fat clogs blood vessels and makes it more difficult for the heart to pump blood through our bodies. Obesity can cause stroke, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, gall bladder disease, osteoarthritis, Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and some cancers. Furthermore, excess body weight can lead to depression and anxiety. The key to healthy fat consumption is to discriminate between the “good” and “bad” fats, and remember to enjoy fats only in moderation.

There are two types of “bad” or unhealthy fats: saturated and trans fats. Saturated fats are found in animal products, like pork, beef, poultry (with the skin on), and dairy. They can also be found in some vegetable oils, like palm, kernel and coconut oil. The other “bad” fat is trans fat. Trans fats are made through a process called hydrogenation, where manufacturers add hydrogen to unsaturated fatty acids. This increases the shelf life and improves the flavour of foods that contain hydrogenated oil. Trans fats are found in a wide variety of foods, including potato chips, frozen foods, fast food, cake mixes, margarine and many other packaged and processed foods. Both saturated and trans fats raise the levels of total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in our bodies, reduce our levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol, and increase the risk of coronary heart disease.

Then there are the “good” fats. These are unsaturated fats, specifically polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. These fats are usually plant-based, though they are occasionally found in certain meats, and they are usually liquid at room temperature. Unsaturated fats actually reduce blood and LDL cholesterol, and raise HDL, or “good” cholesterol. Thus, this type of fat is considered beneficial because it cleans excess cholesterol out of our bodies and transports it to the liver for processing. Unsaturated fats are most commonly found in vegetable oils and nuts.

Now that we’ve distinguished the good fats from the bad, it’s time to look at the amount of fat we consume in a day. Health Canada recommends no more than 30 per cent of your daily caloric intake be made up of fat, and only 10 per cent of that should be saturated fat. Trans fats are non-essential, and should be left out of a healthy diet. In fact, The Trans Fat Task Force, a partnership between Health Canada and The Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation, has been pushing the Canadian government to regulate the amount of trans fat found in foods to two per cent of the total fat content in spreadable margarine, and five per cent in all other foods.

Fats come with benefits, but it’s important to remember to be careful about your fat consumption. Calories from fats are easily stored in the body, and contain more energy than both carbohydrates and protein. This means that if you’re smart about your intake, you will stay fuller longer, and it may cause you to eat less. On the other hand, fat is not burned in our bodies as quickly as carbohydrates or protein, which means if you eat an unbalanced diet high in fat content, you are at risk for over-consumption, leading to excess weight, obesity and all that comes with it.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer. For further information call 604-420-7800 or go to www.karpfitness.com.

Med Ball Partner Exercises

Using a medicine ball with a partner has many benefits: it engages the core and upper body at once; it can be used for sport-specific training; it can simulate, and improve your endurance for, day-to-day activities; it’s easy to do from home; and it’s fun.

You can perform endless exercises with a medicine ball. For beginners, the ball is not as intimidating as using weights or machines. The ball is a great way to work out your core and prevent injuries by strengthening connective tissue. Exercising with a medicine ball forces your body to move in dynamic ways. Use a five-pound ball if you are a beginner, or a 10-pound ball if you are more advanced.

Try all of these exercises with a partner (or on your own):

Sit-up and pass: Sit on the floor approximately five feet away from your partner. Move into a position to perform sit-ups, with your knees bent and feet on the floor, and your back on the floor as well. Whoever starts with the medicine ball should hold it (in both hands) overhead, and slightly elevated above the floor. Begin a sit-up and throw the ball to your partner at the “peak” of your abdominal contraction. Get your partner to repeat the exercise; do 10 or 15 repetitions each. If you’re doing this solo, try throwing the ball against a wall.

Back-to-back rotations: Sit on the floor with your partner; your backs should be approximately one foot apart. Hold onto the medicine ball in front of your chest, with your elbows bent. Rotate your trunk to the right and pass the medicine ball to your partner, who will do the same. Try switching directions after 10 repetitions, so you work both sides of your core equally. If you’re doing this solo, do the same movements but hang on to the medicine ball throughout.

Hot ball throws: Stand approximately six feet away from your partner (or a wall if you’re doing this solo). Hold the medicine ball at chest level, with your palms facing outwards and the fingers of both hands almost touching. Push the medicine ball away from your body, throwing it to your partner with as much force as you think they can handle. Get your partner to throw it back to you. You can both do this 10 times. Do this again by holding the medicine ball elevated behind your head, in both hands. Bring your hands forward and throw the ball to your partner when it is directly overhead.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer.  For further information call his office at 604-420-7800 or go to www.karpfitness.com.

Don’t Forget Your Feet

Our feet withstand incredible amounts of force during exercise, but unless they’re in pain, the feet are easily neglected.

Not all fitness buffs focus on their feet when their real focus is on upping cardio endurance or making the biceps bigger. This is unfortunate, because a proper pair of shoes prevents damage to the feet that could cause chronic pain and difficulty when exercising.

Consider these four aspects of shoe selection:

Wear Pattern

If you have an old pair of running shoes hanging around, you can inspect them to learn about your personal biomechanics. (If you don’t have old shoes, an alternative is to inspect the prints you leave after walking around with wet feet.) If the old shoes are worn on the inside, near your arch, this means you pronate your feet. If they are worn on the outside, this means you under-pronate your feet. If you fit into the former, you’ll need a stability shoe with lots of medial support. If you fit into the latter—or somewhere between the two categories—neutral shoes will do the trick. High arches require neutral shoes with added cushioning.

Type

Shoe companies aren’t trying to make more money by offering multiple types of exercise shoes; running shoes really are designed for running, and cross trainers really are for—you guessed it—cross training. Running feet hit the ground in a heel-to-toe pattern, for instance; running shoes are designed with extra support where it’s needed, so the force of weight transfer from the body to the feet is properly absorbed and dispersed. Cross-training shoes are designed to provide proper foot support for gym workouts, aerobics and shorter durations of running.

Fit

Having the right shoe type means nothing if you don’t have the right fit; an improper fitting shoe will not provide the support needed. You might also have to sacrifice the exact style of shoe you want to ensure the best possible fit. When looking at a pair of shoes, try on three sizes—your regular size, one size up and one down—and don’t rush to make a purchase. Give yourself a minute or two to see if your feet feel neutral in the shoe; the feet should not roll to either side when you walk. Shoes should be snug around the middle of the feet and have one-half to three-quarters of a thumb width between your toes and the toe-end of the shoe.

Replacement

Old, worn out shoes stop giving proper foot support. Replace your workout shoes every eight to 12 months—eight if you exercise daily and 12 if you exercise less frequently. Runners can also know when to replace their shoes based on distance—a great reason for keeping a running log. Runners need new shoes every 400 to 600 miles (or 650 to 970 kilometres). Bottom line: don’t forget your feet!

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800 or visit their web site www.karpfitness.com.

Five Resolution Mistakes Not To Make

1.    Avoid dramatic dietary changes.  Before you make any changes to your diet ask yourself if you can realistically maintain the change for a period of years rather than just a few months.  If you lose weight fast you are usually going to gain it back fast, and that is when the dreaded yo-yo epidemic starts.  To be successful in the long term, it is essential to make changes that you can live with.  For instance, reduce your food portions, or limit your fat intake.  You can also get good results by eliminating “nibbling” between meals and preparing healthy snacks.

2.    Do not place too much emphasis on the scale.  A body-fat measurement will tell you how much of your bodyweight is fat compared to muscle.  This is important because muscle weighs more than fat; so trusting the reading on your scale could be misleading.

3.    Do not do two hours of cardio per day!  Cardiovascular exercise is great because it helps to burn off extra calories and also helps to strengthen the heart; however, excessive amounts can cause you to burn out.  A balanced cardiovascular program can be achieved by performing 20-45 minutes of cardio 3-5 times each week.

4.    Do not rely on meal replacement supplements.  There are many great supplements out there; however, they are best used to replace the occasional meal if you get too busy, or to help supplement an already balanced diet.  Planning your meals ahead of time can help to reduce your reliance on supplements.  It is also important to focus on eating less refined foods because many vitamins and minerals are stripped during processing.

5.    Do not leave out the strengthening component.  To achieve the best results it is important to perform a balanced strengthening routing three times each week.  After the age of thirty we lose approximately a half a pound of muscle per year.  Muscle is the body’s most efficient calorie burner.  The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn while at rest!

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer.  For further information call 604-420-7800 or go to www.karpfitness.com.

Get Your Workouts Back On Track

It is difficult to maintain a workout regimen without interruption.  Life sometimes interferes; you might get sick or have to take a long business trip, or perhaps you just have a lot of parties to attend and give up on your health kick for a while. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get right back into it. There are a few different things you need to do to successfully get your fitness routine back on track.

1.) Get the first workout out of the way.

Getting back into your fitness routine for the first time after an absence is always the most difficult step. You simply have to force yourself back into the gym, into a yoga or aerobics class, or possibly on a hike or other activity. Rather than thinking about the big picture, you need to focus on the first workout as something independent of your entire fitness program. Just put on your runners and get out there. Then worry about the rest after that.

2.) Take care of any nagging injuries.

An injury often keeps us out of the gym. It is important that you see your physician and determine the severity of the injury, then proceed with your fitness regimen accordingly. You can continue to work on the areas of your body that are not affected by injury while you’re healing.

3.) Set a realistic workout schedule.

It is fantastic to be ambitious and hope to attend the gym every day, five times weekly or even three or four times a week, but if it has been a long time since you maintained a regular workout schedule, it may be best to start small and work up to something ideal. Commit to twice-weekly workouts initially, and make one of them something fun that you’ll look forward to. It will become progressively easier to attend the gym more often.

4.) Develop a gym and home workout.

There will certainly be days when you find it almost impossible to get to the gym, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still work out. There are many functional exercises that can be performed at home, or even at the playground down the street. Get creative, and make time for exercise no matter what the environment. You can purchase dumbbells and a mat and perform many of the exercises you’ve learned in the gym in the comfort of your home.

5.) Take the approach, “Every little bit counts.”

Don’t be discouraged if you only manage to fit 20 minutes of exercise into your day; that amount of activity is better than none at all. Be proud of yourself for making time for exercise at all, rather than beating yourself up about it not being enough. If your busy schedule does not permit a one-hour-daily gym routine, simply walk to and from work, or take the stairs instead of the elevator. Your body will thank you, and you are on the way to a healthier lifestyle.
Remember to focus on why it is important to include exercise in your lifestyle and not on how much or to what intensity you are executing it, and take it one step at a time. Sometimes it is the smallest steps that take us the furthest in the long run.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer.  For further information call his office at 604-420-7800 or visit their web site www.karpfitness.com.

Keeping on track in the New Year

If every New Year’s resolution were easy to follow, it probably wouldn’t have become a resolution to begin with. Keep that in mind if you are struggling with your own, and try these five steps:

1. Understand the importance of situations in dictating behavior. People who pride themselves on their superior willpower and seem to epitomize self-control probably have no more willpower than you do. Their trick—almost always—is avoiding situations that cause temptation. These temptations might be to eat, to smoke, to be sedentary or to procrastinate. When directly confronted with temptation, the best of us give in. Most psychologists agree this is because of brain pathways that are hard-wired to make us react in a predictable fashion to certain situations. To succeed in controlling your behaviour, you should first try to control your environment. Avoid situations that confront you with temptation.

2. Make your goals health-oriented, rather than appearance-oriented. Weight loss is an exceedinglycommon New Year’s resolution. You’ll have more success losing weight and keeping it off if you focus on losing weight to become healthier, and not more physically attractive. A focus on health leads to positive lifestyle changes that can make weight loss permanent—not temporary. Quick and easy weight loss following crash diets almost never lasts.

3. Make incremental goals. It can be daunting to think about a lofty goal like losing 25 pounds of fat orgaining 15 pounds of muscle before summertime. It’s less intimidating to think about losing four pounds in a month, though. Write down a series of short-term goals and monitor your success over the course of several months or a year. Hiring a personal trainer who can measure your body-fat and let you know how you’re doing week-by-week also helps you stay on track.

4. Don’t be discouraged by failure. Many health and fitness goals are not achievable unless accompanied by permanent lifestyle changes, like eating a healthy diet. Much like trying to quit smoking, trying to make lifestyle changes can take multiple attempts. If you slip up and eat poorly for a length of time, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. Forget about it, move on and get back on track. If you tell yourself you’ve failed, you’ve essentially made an excuse to stop working towards your goals.

5. Small changes can make big differences. While it is hard to make long-lasting lifestyle changes, don’t forget many small changes you can make that have huge impacts on your fitness and well-being. For instance, keep pre-cut vegetables around for whenever you have a craving to snack. Instead of juice or soda, drink water with a slice of lemon in it. Walk as often as you can—get off the bus a stop early or park a few blocks from where you need to go. Combined, these small changes, which are easy to make, can be transformational.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800 or visit their web site www.karpfitness.com.

Athletes Need to Focus on Muscle Balance

If you want to be the best athlete you can be you need ask yourself one important question, “Am I able to perform my best on a consistent basis?”

The factors that prevent most athletes from reaching their peak are poor eating habits, imbalanced exercise routines, and muscle imbalances.

Many athletes never achieve their best because they do not eat properly. If you want to be the best you need to understand what you are eating and how food affects your body. Find our how many grams of protein you need per day.  How do you feel if you have too much or too little carbohydrates?  How do you feel if you are dehydrated, and what are good food options if you are eating in a restaurant.  These are just some of the things you need to understand of you want to be the best athlete you can be.

Poor program set up and improper exercise prioritization is another reason that athletes do not reach their full potential.  Do you need to focus more on overall strength or agility?  What are your cardiovascular needs?  Do you need to do plyometrics, speed work, interval training, etc.  Most athletes like to work on what they are good at, however, it is important to remember that you are only as good as your weakest link. Your top priority should be the area that needs most improvement.

Muscle imbalances & soft tissue injuries have destroyed the careers of many athletes.  To prevent injuries you need to understand the difference between good soreness and bad soreness.  You also need to understand muscle balance and joint range of motion.  And it is essential to warm-up properly and to stretch regularly.

The fact is that it is not easy to get to an elite level in any sport.  It requires practice, consistency, balanced workouts, good eating habits and a healthy dose of motivation.  It is also essential to spend more time on injury prevention and muscle balance. It is an enduring battle to constantly stay in tune with your body as it evolves and ages, however, there is no more important job for an athlete.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer. For further information call 604-420-7800 or visit www.karpfitness.com.

Christmas Gifts For Your Health

Giving gifts that promote good health is a thoughtful way to show that you care. Here are some ideas for both the body and mind:

For the body:

The balance-ball chair: You’ve likely heard about the core-stabilizing benefits of sitting on an exercise ball in lieu of a chair. A few companies have taken the next logical step and combined the stability ball with a chair base—making the ball less awkward to sit on and not able to roll away. Some have a detachable ball that can be used separately for exercises. Search for “balance-ball chair” online to find this product. This will set you back somewhere between $ 80 and $ 120 CAD.

Resistance bands: These are elastic bands that can be used for an almost unlimited number of exercises. There is a wealth of online information about how to exercise with resistance bands, which are fun to use and help improve coordination and balance. Not only are they cheap—$ 20 CAD or less—they take up little space compared to other exercise gear kept at home and can easily be stuffed into a purse or suitcase.

A one-month gym membership: Signing up can be the hardest part of going to the gym. Many gyms offer one-month “trial” memberships that are a great gift for people who are afraid to take this first step. Since it’s a short commitment, it seems less daunting than a yearly contract. Even better, get one for yourself and one for your giftee; becoming fit is easier with the support of a friend or loved one. Prices can vary greatly but most gyms have specials for the start of the year.

For the mind:

An MP3 player with an armband: Finding motivation to exercise is tough, especially in the winter. If you want to help motivate someone you love, help him or her get into a great mood—with music. Two-gigabyte MP3 players can cost as little as $ 30 CAD and hold approximately 500 songs. You can double the capacity for around $ 80 CAD. An armband—this will eliminate the hassle of having a player unattached to the body during a workout—can cost as little as $ 10 CAD.

A sun lamp: Sun lamps emit the full spectrum of light you get from the sun. Using one in the dark days of winter has proven benefits for the body, such as increased Vitamin D production and a reduction in stress or mild depression. These effects can help someone stay happy and active all year. Staying active is also proven to reduce stress and depression. A small, desktop sun lamp can cost as little as $ 70 CAD, while a large one can be several hundred dollars.

An inspiring book: Don’t forget the joy of simple pleasures—like time alone to get lost in a good book. The chaos of the holidays can leave us mentally drained and in need of time out. If someone you love leads an unusually busy life, giving a book to him or her is a reminder that they deserve quiet time. Most bookstores have entire sections dedicated to health or fitness-related reads that can uplift spirits during the dreariest season.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer.  For further information call 604-420-7800 or go to www.karpfitness.com.

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