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Be a little more active every day

9 questions
Q: I am trying to loose 5-15 lbs. I have lost about 3lbs so far and I'm feeling great. I think this is because I have started to play basketball which gives me plenty of exercise. I have also started to watch what I eat. The only problem is that I am now ending basketball because the season is over at my school. But i want to keep exercising and loosing weight. Do you have any suggestions on how to maintain my weight? - Silvia
A: Hi. If you do enjoy team sports, maybe you can try a recreational league of soccer. That would work very well on your cardio and muscle toning, just like basketball. You could also try tennis, if there is no soccer team near you. What you need to do is try different activities until you find one you really like or you can alternate between 2-3 different ones for the summer. Inline skating, running, hill walking, tennis, swimming, are all good choices. If you try to exercise a little every day, you will maintain what you've already accomplished.
Nathalie Lambert


Q: how helpful in good exercising is the Wii?? - jannyb
A: Hi there,

Exercising with the Wii is certainly much better than sitting on the couch. It really depends on the level of intensity and the activity you actually play. The dance games for instance, can be very challenging, as are the hockey, boxing and tennis. But playing tennis on the Wii is nothing like playing tennis for real, because you don't get the stop and go sprints, and you don't get the actual resistance of the ball, so it is not an efficient muscle toning activity. The dance games can be good cardio workouts. If you consider it a pastime activity, it is a very good one. If you are considering buying it as your way to become fit and invest in your health, then I suggest you try other fun physical activities like real tennis, badminton, walking, dancing, etc. It is certainly a good complement to living active, but not the main thing. Hope that helps you.
Enjoy,

Nathalie Lambert


Q: Iam 75 years. I have CAD and cannot do vigorous exercise. I can walk at a moderate rate for about 2 K. I know from expeerience that i need to exercise a lot to lose weight and want to know what I can do - limerick 1
A: Hi there,
I'm presuming that CAD is for coronary artery disease, and that you already have the proper medical supervision. It is true that you can't do vigorous exercises but you can do moderate cardio activities that don't have quick variations in heart rate. You can definitely walk, do the stationary bike, swim, garden, and if possible, try to do more frequent workouts like walking in the morning and doing something else at the end of the afternoon. And if your weight is an issue, seek nutrition advice because you can work on it by exercising and by cutting down a little bit on your calorie intake.

You can also progressively add (after consulting your doctor) some muscle toning exercises for the upper body and the legs. Make sure you control your movements and restrict movements that create drops in blood pressure.

Progress slowly and with caution, but you can reach a good level of fitness by walking regularly.

Nathalie Lambert


Q: I am a caregiver for an elderly parent and therefore am unable to join a gym. I currently walk 5 miles a day before my mother wakes up in the morning and do my own exercixe routine every other day. Can you reccomend a book or dvd on exercising at home that offers a full body workout. I am 54 years young and an obsesity surviour (10 years ago I weighed 235 lbs and was a true couch potatoe) I have maintained a healthy wieght for the last 9 years and wish to keep it that way. - Marieta
A: First of all, congratulations on making a daily commitment to a healthy lifestyle and keeping up with it. Since you are walking regularly, you do get the benefits you need for healthy lungs and heart. Plus, you are burning a good amount of calories. To complement it, DVDs are a really good option and there is a vast array to choose from. For a good cardio and muscle toning workout, I suggest Hi-Lo Cardio Dance or, for a more challenging workout, Cardio Latino 2 (if you like dancing). You could also pick up some of Shelly MacDonald's Caribbean Workout DVDs for a good overall muscle toning and cardio workout. These can then be alternated with a classical stretch DVD to work on your flexibility, which is an important aspect to maintain good health. If you want to target specific muscle groups, there is a book called Core Training that offers a wide range of exercises for all levels, and features exercises that are easy to do at home, as well. Good luck with your training, and keep going! Nathalie Lambert


Q: I am twenty two, weigh 145 lbs and I am 5' 6'. I lost about forty pounds when I graduated from high school. I now have a job where I mostly work at a computer all day and can't really exercise. I been trying to lose ten pounds for the last three years and am so frustrated with my body! I try to eat right but sometimes I wonder what's the point. So if you have any exercising ideas that are quick that I can do at home, please let me know. Plus any foods that help burn fat, etc. Thanks! - calipso760
A: First of all, you need to take great pride in the fact that you lost those 40 pounds and didn't gain them back. That’s already an achievement in itself. The last few pounds are always the hardest to lose. Keep up the good eating habits, and if you progressively add a little bit of exercise, you will eventually achieve your goal. It's also very important to know that having a sedentary lifestyle is much more of a risk factor to your health than being overweight. Since you work long hours, maybe start by adding a few minutes here and there. Walk a little at lunch time, climb the stairs at work instead of taking the elevator, walk to the corner store instead of taking the car, etc. You can also start by finding an activity that you could do on the weekend. Something that you would truly enjoy doing. It could be indoor rock climbing, dance lessons, yoga, tennis; anything that would inspire you. At first, commit to only one time per week. You can purchase a couple of fitness DVDs for weeknights in different styles to see which ones you enjoy. Cardio dance and boot camp are good choices for burning calories, or choose yoga, Pilates or classical stretch for muscle toning and stretches. You can alternate them for more variety until you find a style you really enjoy. Good luck and progress slowly towards active living; it’s the best way to succeed.
Nathalie Lambert


Q: I am disabled. I walk with a walker and am looking for exercise to strengthen leg muscles. can you recommend any. - Mona Deschamps
A: There are a lot of ways and exercises that would work really well on muscle toning and strengthening for the legs. Without knowing precisely what your disability is, it is a little hard to prescribe safe exercises. I think you can start by choosing which method would suit your lifestyle. You can do a very efficient routine with tubing at home; you could also work with the stability ball and some free weights; you could go to the gym and work on the machines they have there, or you could work in the water. It really depends on your personality and what you would enjoy the most.
Once you have chosen, I recommend that you seek advice from a trainer (easy to do if you choose the health club, but also available in many places just on a one-time basis to establish a program). You can also do a search on the Web to get a personal trainer or sports therapist that could work on building a program for you to do at home and show you how to do the exercises properly. I hope this helps you get started, and good luck.
Nathalie Lambert


Q: Hello...Im 5 foot 2 and i weight 130 pounds and i feel like im cubby but im not sure if that is even healthy can you please help me out i need some advice on some actives to do outside or inside... - Kendra88
A: At 5 foot 2 and 130 pounds, your BMI indicates that you are at a healthy weight, so actually you are already in the healthy weight zone. What I recommend is to not do anything drastic as far as dieting or changing eating habits. To get back in shape, try to incorporate more activities such as walking, biking, running, aerobics classes, racquet sports (tennis, badminton or squash), cardio dance classes, etc. Choose activities that will focus on both cardio training and muscle toning, and more importantly, try to find an activity that you will really enjoy. Whether it's for the fun of learning something new, or for the social aspect, or if you like challenges, focus on trying new activities. Find one that fits your schedule and that you'll enjoy so much you will actually be looking forward to the next time. At this time of the year, trekking is also a great solution and for winter, ice skating or cross country skiing are very effective choices. By being more active you will burn an extra 100 to 200 calories per day (20 to 30 minutes depending on the choice). After a few weeks, you will see a difference on your scale or in how your clothing fits... Good luck!
Nathalie Lambert


Q: I walk regularly, but I'm wondering if it's enough to stay healthy or if I should do something else. - Anonymous
A: It is a very good way to work on your cardiovascular qualities, especially if you walk up hills and if you keep the heart rate going. You also need to complete this with some muscle toning exercices and flexibility exercices at least twice per week. The stretching routine could follow either the walking and/or the weight routine. To find good exercises that you can do at home, use a search engine with key words: weight routine for home and you will find some good tips.

- Nathalie Lambert


Q: Is exercising in the evening or at night a bad thing for your health in terms of sleep patterns, etc? - Anonymous
A: I always say exercise is best done when you are motivated to do it! However, if you are finding that after exercising at night you have difficulty falling asleep, or wake up during the night, it may be worth changing it up for a week or two to see if it makes a difference. Sleep is essential for good health as well as proper recovery from exercise, so you don't want to sacrifice good quality sleep for your workouts. Hopefully, if this is the case, you can arrange to do your workouts in the mornings or afternoons to allow yourself to relax before bed. Remember, timing isn't important, it's actually fitting it in that counts!

- Nicole Springle


 
This site is offered by the Registered Dietitians at Dairy Farmers of Canada, with a reminder that lots of movement and healthy eating habits that include milk products is the perfect recipe for staying in shape.
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