Resting Metabolic Rate

Resting Metabolic Rate is the number of calories your body burns through the course of a day, even if you were to do absolutely nothing.  RMR is an important tool to be aware of, especially if you are working to lose or maintain your weight.  In the June issue of the IDEA Fitness Journal there was an article with some extensive information about RMR, we would like to provide you with some of the deatils. 

The impact of diet-only weight loss efforts on RMR.
It has been found that restricting your diet and not exercising at all can reduce your RMR by up to 20%.  This means that if your RMR is 1500 calories burned per day could drop by 300 calories.  That's bad news if you are serious about losing weight.  Following a diet-only program tends to result in decreased muscle mass which reduces your RMR and hurts your weight loss effort.

Long term aerobic exercise impact on RMR.
A study in 2008 was conducted over 16 months and had participants do aerobic exercise 3 to 5 days per week at moderate intensity for 20-45 minutes per session.  Females in the study saw an average RMR increase of 129 calories burned per day, and males saw an average increase of 174 calories per day.  If you achieved this increase you would see your calories burned per week go up by 903 for women and 1218 for men, and that is not including what you would burn from actually doing the exercise! That is tremendous!

Long term resistance exercise impact on RMR.
In a 26 week study particpants were put through regular resistance exercise routines that included doing 2 sets of 10 reps for each major muscle group at 65-80% of their maximum capability.  By the end of the study the particpants had seen an RMR increase of 7%, or about 100 calories per day.  That translates to a weekly calorie burn of 700 calories and that is not including the calories burned while actually doing the resistance exercise!

How do you estimate RMR?
There are many different estimation techniques out there.  The following is Mifflin-St. Jeor RMR Equation:
Males RMR = 10 x (weight in kilograms) + 6.25 x (height in cm) - 5 x (age in years) + 5

Females RMR = 10 x (weight in kilograms) + 6.25 x (height in cm) - 5 x (age in years) -161

Body weight in KG = weight in pounds divided by 2.205
Height in CM = height in inches x 2.54

Do you know if you're healthy or not?

Catalyst Healthcare Research released a study that gives interesting and worrisome insight into the health of Americans.  1,500 people between the ages of 18 and 65 participated in the study.  When asked what the number one threat to public health in the United States is, 60% responded with obesity.  It is good to know that people are aware of the obesity epidemic and that there are significant health concerns associated with it.  However, the study also provides some alarming figures as well.  Of the people surveyed over 60% are overweight or obese.  Among those classified as overweight or obese 61% said they are in good health, 25% said they are in fair health, and 11% said they were in excellent health.  Only 3% of obese or overweight respondents stated their health was poor.  These results are puzzling because people are acknowledging the serious health concerns associated with being obese but are not considering themselves subject to those concerns.

Here's some of the other numbers from the survey:
- Among overweight participants: 53% don't exercise at all (yikes!), 17% do some walking, 30% perform vigorous exercise.
- Of those that said they are more fit than last year, only 10% said they weigh less and exercise more than the prior year. 
- 30% of participants said they gained weight in the last year. 
- The number one source participants turn to for health and wellness info is the Internet (56%), followed by friends and family (48%), physicians (31%), coaches or trainers (11%), Insurance companies (8%), their employer (5%).

Conclusions:
From this study it seems that people tend to believe they are healthy regardless of the actual amount of physical activity they engage in.  It is also evident that awareness of the health issues associated with obesity and their increasing prevalence does not equate to accurate personal evaluation and perception of personal health.  More simply put, people hear about what is not healthy, but they don't really know how healthy or unhealthy they are. 

We encourage you to find out the current state of your health.  Take the time to visit your physician so they can help you determine if you need to make changes in your lifestyle or address existing concerns.   

Ankle Sprain

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, approximately 25,000 people sprain their ankle per day. If you have never sprained your ankle, someone you know probably has. Ankle sprains are painful and can often affect your quality of life.

The ankle itself is made up of three bones, the tibia or inside ankle bone, the fibula or outside ankle bone, and the talus that sits in between the two. All these bones are held together by ligaments. There are three ligaments on the outside of the ankle: the posterior talofibular (PTF), the calcaneofibular (CF), and the anterior talofibular (ATF). On the inside of the ankle there are four ligaments collectively known as the deltoid ligament: the posterior tibiotalar, the tibiocalcaneal, the tibionavicular, and the anterior tibiotalar. When we “roll” our ankle we generally injure the ATF ligament.

The term sprain is used to describe a ligament injury. There are three possible degrees of ligament injury: Grade I, Grade II, and Grade III. A Grade I ankle sprain happens when ligaments are slightly stretched causing minor damage to the ligament fibers. Grade I sprains usually involve pain, bruising, and swelling but normally do not cause difficulty walking. A Grade II sprain occurs when ligaments partially tear. Within the hour, the ankle may feel painful, bruised, and swollen, and the ankle may become “loose”, also known as laxity. With a Grade II, running and or walking may or may not be possible. A Grade III sprain occurs when there is a complete tear of the ligament and gross instability is present. Grade III ankle sprains result in immediate pain, swelling and the inability to walk or run.

The treatment for an ankle sprain begins with controlling the symptoms. The principle of RICE applies within the first 72 hours of an ankle sprain. RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Rest includes staying off of the injured ankle – simply “if it hurts, don’t do it”. Crutches and bracing may be needed. Ice should be applied to the injured ankle for approximately 15 to 20 minutes three times a day. Compression involves a loose elastic bandage wrapped from toes to calf. Elevation, lying down with ankle above heart, helps to decrease swelling. If symptoms persist greater than 5 to 7 days consult orthopedic advice for further evaluation and x-ray. Brockton Physical Therapy speeds up the recovery process by utilizing ultrasound to decrease swelling and increase healing, educating in appropriate exercises to increase range of motion and strength, and applying electrical stimulation to decrease pain.  If you're dealing with an ankle injury and need help give us a call or ask your doctor if physical therapy is an option for you.

Have you exercised in the last 24 hours?

I just read about a telephone survey of 80,000 people done from 2003 to 2008. Respondents were asked what they have done in the last 24 hours and the results may shock you.

95.6% included eating or drinking in the last 24 hours. (That's to be expected, although I would think it would be 100% unless some people were fasting)

80.1% watched TV in the last 24 hours.

78.9% washed, groomed and dressed.

71.4% drove their vehicle.

10.6% did some gardening or house plant care.

Here's the somewhat shocking figure, only 5% of respondents said they participated in vigorous physical activity.

Obviously there are some additional things to consider, like maybe some people who exercise got asked right after their off day. Regardless, it serves as another indicator that many of us are not getting enough regular exercise to keep our bodies healthy.

Here's a link to recommendations from the American College of Sports Medicine about the minimum amount of exercise needed to maintain health and prevent various diseases. Keep in mind these are minimums and if you're trying to lose weight more may be needed.

Also, please be sure to consult with your physician before you begin exercising so he/she can determine what type of program is safe for you to undertake.

Tips for Pruchasing Exercise Equipment

Here's a few tips that will help you get some exercise equipment without feeling some serious buyer's remorse shortly after your purchase.

1. Buy what you'll actually use. If you walk around your neighborhood I'm sure you'll find that most garages have some old piece of equipment jammed in the corner looking like it hasn't been used in years. If you're serious about exercising at home be strategic about the equipment you buy. Spend the time to figure out what type of exercises are going to work for you. Once you know what you'll enjoy doing and can commit to then buy the equipment you need for those exercises. If you haven't run in 20 years don't go spend a few thousand dollars on a treadmill assuming you'll start running on it everyday. Start with a little jogging outside, if you think you can stick with running regularly then it might be time to consider buying the treadmill.

2. Don't waste your money. Exercise machines can be very expensive. However, to get a good workout you don't need much. You may be fine with just a few exercise bands, some dumbbells and a jump rope. I recommend you visit a local gym, they will probably give you a week membership for free. Use it to test their equipment and see what you like. Or you can give us a call, we'd be happy to show you some basic workouts with simple equipment.

3. Let your goals guide you. If you want to lose weight you are probably going to focus more on cardio-respiratory fitness which means elevating your heart rate to an ideal calorie burning level and sustaining it. If that is your goal then don't go buy some elaborate weight bench, consider a bike or eliptical trainer and some light dumbbells. If you would like to increase strength then its time to get some heavier weights and maybe a bench. If you're not sure how to reach your goals get help, there are plenty of professionals (including us) that are there for you.

4. Know how to use the equipment. Ask people, watch videos, read directions, pay for a lesson. Do whatever it takes to make sure you know how to use your equipment safely and effectively. Don't wing it and assume you'll figure it out. That is a recipe for serious injury and frustration.

5. Take care of your equipment. Make sure you know how to care for your equipment. Follow the maintenance instructions and store it in a place that is protected from the elements. You might like to workout in your backyard, but don't leave your equipment out there.

6. Don't buy products you see on TV commercials. Infomercials are very misleading. The statements they make about their products are not always true. There is no amazing piece of equipment that will get rid of your belly fat, or flabby arms or thighs and using a device for 5 or 6 or 7 minutes a day will not make you lose 50 pounds or get buff. The fact of the matter is exercise takes time and hard work, there are no shortcuts.

I hope these tips are helpful. Remember its ok to ask for help if you're serious about exercising at home. Set yourself up to succeed by putting the time it do some research and make wise choices about what equipment to buy.