Have a Happy and Healthy Holiday  

from Workout for Wellness!

Skip a Step

Stairs are a great way to get physical activity throughout the day and can be a great workout themselves. However, stairs bother many people's knees. If this is you, my advice is...skip a step. The angle is widened when a step is skipped and this puts a lot less pressure on your knee joint. Whether you are experiencing knee pain taking the stairs at work or doing stadiums for a workout...SKIP A STEP. Skipping a step gets heart rate up quick since it engages major muscle groups; be patient and build up the amount of steps you take over time.

Give the Gift of Health!

Still debating on what to get your loved ones for Christmas? Give the gift of health this year; here are some examples:

• Massage Gift Certificate
• Gym Membership
• Yoga Studio Classes
• Group Fitness Classes 
• Exercise DVD
• Workout Clothes
• Personal Training Sessions
• Healthy Cookbook
• Health Food Store Gift Card
• Farmer's Market Membership
• Basket of Healthy Treats such as Fresh and Dried Fruit
• A Blender
• Subscription to Health Magazine such as Nutrition Action Healthletter

BMI

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a popular tool used by many health professionals. However there is some confusion of what this really is and what it really means. BMI is simply a calculation of the ratio of weight to height; the number is then associated with a classification. BMI is found by taking weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared OR weight in pounds multiplied by 703 and then divided by height in inches squared. The current classifications are as follows:

BMI	Classification
<18.5	Underweight
18.5-24.9	Normal
25-29.9	Overweight
30-34.9	Obese
35-39.9	Severely Obese
>40	Morbidly Obese

What BMI does NOT measure is body fat percentage. Other means estimate this such as skinfold testing, hydrostatic weighing, and DEXA scanning. During my undergraduate work, I found BMI classifications to be inaccurate amongst several of my classmates since it does NOT take it to account muscle mass or bone density. Therefore, a body builder who is in very good shape could be classified as overweight and a small framed woman who is of a healthy weight could be classified as underweight. For these reasons I ruled out BMI as inaccurate and thought it not to be beneficial.

Since this time I have worked in various locations with the general public and found BMI to be a fairly accurate dipiction of weight classification. For the most, BMI gives an appropriate weight classification for the GENERAL PUBLIC; this does not include everyone such as athletes and those with certain diseases. BMI is just ONE way of  measuring health status and is a quick tool for health professionals. It is a good tool, but does NOT give the whole picture of health. That being said someone could have a "normal" weight and be very unhealthy. Continue to maintain or work towards a "normal" BMI, but more importantly work on being HEALTHY!

Crystal Light

OK so here's my rant...

When you dump a package of Crystal Light in water, you are drinking Crystal Light NOT water. Just like if you add coffee or tea to water...you are drinking coffee or tea not water right? Though drinking Crystal Light does count towards fluid intake and does not add many calories, it is not water. Crystal Light powder is full of artificial sweeteners and food coloring, however you can't find this on their website since ingredients aren't listed (hmm I wonder why?). So if you do choose to drink Crystal Light, do so in "moderation" and don't forget to drink some good ol' H2O too!

Happy Small Business Saturday!

To Indulge or Not to Indulge on Thanksgiving...?

Recently a few people have asked me, "Thanksgiving is only 1 day of the year, is it ok to indulge on food this day while trying to lose weight?"

Yes Thanksgiving is only 1 day out of the year so why not go CrAzY right? Well first of all every year there is only 1 Christmas AND you will only have one birthday AND  your co-workers will only have 1 birthday (EACH month), etc, etc, etc... Seems there is always an excuse to overeat and "cheat" on eating healthy. Even though Thanksgiving is only 1 day, it can often lead to a spiral of overeating, beginning with holiday leftovers! My advice to you is INDULGE, but not OVERINDULGE. Enjoy the healthful foods the holiday has to offer and treat yourself to some of your favorite holiday "cheats." Really ENJOY your food instead of laying on the floor with stomach pains from overeating it! If you do find yourself eating more than planned on Thanksgiving, get your move on and try eating light on Friday.

Happy Thanksgiving from Workout for Wellness!