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Monday, October 23, 2006
Addicted To the Gym
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Are you an Addict?
Answer the following questions (honestly) and add up your points to see where you are along the exercise continuum.
- IF I MISS A WORKOUT;
a. I may feel guilty, but I feel good about how much I exercise, so it’s not a big deal. ( 1 point)
b. I feel very guilty and vow to make sure that I don’t miss another day that week. ( 2 points)
c. I feel guilty and anxious to the point that it ruins my entire day and I can barely concentrate. ( 3 points)- WHEN IT COMES TO EXERCISE AS A CHOICE;
a. I may crave exercise, but it’s always a free choice. (1point)
b. It sometimes feels like I don’t have much of a choice in the matter, I just feel compelled to exercise(2pts.)
c. Most of the time, it feels more like exercise is controlling me instead of making a conscious choice. (3pts)
- IF I’M FORCED TO STOP EXERCISING FOR A DAY OR MORE;
a. It burns me out and I don’t feel as good, but I can still function normally. ( 1 pt.)
b. I get anxious and irritable and it’s difficult to focus on something else. (2pts)
c. I feel very depressed, have mood swings and can barely get through each day. (3 pts.)
- REGARDING HOW I SCHEDULE MY TIME;
a. I might choose exercise over hanging out with friends but not often. (1 point)
b. I frequently choose exercise over spending time with friends. (2pts.)
c. I always choose exercise over social time. (3pts.)
5.MY EXPERIENCE WITH INJURIES HAS BEEN:
a. i generally stay injury-free, but if I am injured, I take time off to heal.(1 point)
b. I find myself with more and moe nagging injuries and usually exercise through them. (2pts.)
c. I am almost always in pain, but I can’t imagine taking time off because of it. (3pts.)
HOW YOU SCORED
If you scored 5 to 6 points, you are balanced. Exercise is a positive habit. You enjoy working out, and if helps you feel good mentally and physically.
If you scored 7 to 10 points, you have some compulsive tendencies. You sometimes struggle with a compulsion to exercise, which isn’t always healthy. Try re-evaluating your motivation for exercise and whether you actually enjoy it.
If you scored 11 to 15 points, you’re in the danger zone. Exercise controls you more than you control it. Consider taking a step back, taking a break and re-examining your relationship with exercise.
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Weight Loss and Fitness Myth #8: Exercise on an Empty Stomach in the Morning will Help You Burn more Fat
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A while back, a study demonstrated that cardiovascular exercise on an empty stomach in the morning can help you burn more calories. The only problem is that the “extra” calories used was so minimal that it was really considered to be invalid evidence. (Unfortunately, this lead to another myth that stated your metabolism is higher in the morning than any other time of day. Well, that’s not true either. If anything, it would be at it’s lowest considering you have been sleeping for a few hours. I’ll talk about this more another time.)
Here lies the other problem. Nothing was mentioned as to where do the calories come from. If you recall in myth #4 (aerobic exercise will burn the most fat), you can potential utilize muscle protein as a source of energy. (I bet you remembered didn’t you?) This is what you want to avoid, as muscle is the only physical location that utilizes fat as energy. The only way to insure this doesn’t happen is to eat.
This is the reason why we call our first meal in the morning- breakfast. You are breaking your fast from sleep. It is important to eat to sustain muscle and give you the energy you need to get going for the day.
Now, if you are thinking you have to eat a gigantic breakfast before exercise that is not the case. If you have to do your exercise in the early morning hours, all you have to do is eat an easily digestible carbohydrate such as oatmeal or cream of wheat. After you are done exercising, be sure to eat again and combine it with a lean protein source such as chicken or turkey bacon. If it needs to be faster than that, then consider getting some protein powder or reevaluate your lifestyle.
For some extra motivation for you, studies demonstrate conclusively that eating first thing in the morning helps you regulate meals and snacks better throughout the rest of the day. It also demonstrates that you are less likely to have those latter day food overloads. So, please, for your own sake eat breakfast.
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