Monday, October 27, 2008

Preventative Health

By Courtney Westlake



As most of you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and one of the things women are encouraged to do during this month is to get annual mammograms, which also serves as a reminder to regularly get necessary health screenings and be proactive when it comes to preventative health.

What is preventative health?

"Preventative health is maintaining a healthy body and lifestyle in order to prevent diseases and ailments," said Amanda Jillson, assistant director of fitness and instructional programs for the TRAC.

The best thing we can do for ourselves is be proactive, Jillson said, which means taking small actions and steps to prevent diseases, ailments and other health problems. The responsibility to maintain a healthy lifestyle lies within ourselves.

"You want to make sure you have a healthy diet, exercise and lifestyle plan," she said. "Taking these steps will definitely contribute to helping prevent health problems."

Simply getting regular exercise and eating healthily will greatly contribute to overall health and wellness.

"Five things I personally like to live by are eating healthy, exercising, wearing sunscreen, taking a daily multivitamin and getting enough omega-3 fatty acid," Jillson said. "Be sure to get enough fruits and vegetables and enough exercise throughout the week."

Strive to get your heart rate up at different times throughout the day, even if you are simply climbing the stairs or taking a walk, Jillson said. Jillson also recommended using weights or resistance for strength training a couple of times a week.

"I would recommend three to five days of exercise for 30 to 60 minutes," she said. "That could be ten minutes in the morning, ten minutes in the evening, maybe walking between classes or on your lunch hour. It all counts, and it all adds up."

Exercise is one of the most important things you can do for your body and a huge aspect of preventative health.

"Exercise is important for the body because it helps with weight management, helps to get free radicals or toxins out of the body through sweat and maintains a healthy and strong heart," Jillson said.

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Monday, October 20, 2008

Finding your "Happy Weight"

By Courtney Westlake



Sure, sometimes we think it would be nice to be able to fit into our high school jeans, but to actually strive for this body again isn't always realistic.

"It's very important to have a realistic goal when it comes to weight loss," said Amanda Jillson, assistant director of fitness and instructional programs at the TRAC. "Some people have a tendency to wish they were that size four or size zero again like they were back when they were in their 20s when they are 50. But that might not necessarily be ideal for their body."

Jillson encouraged people to focus on maintaining a positive body image whatever your fitness goals may be.

"Stay positive even if you're having difficulty losing weight, maintaining weight or putting weight on - everyone is different with their health and fitness goals," she said. "Make sure stay positive with what you're trying to reach. Don't focus on the scale necessarily. A lot of people focus on a certain number and want to get below that certain number."

What you should focus on instead, Jillson said, is your body composition, which means your lean body mass - muscles, bones, organs - compared to your adipose tissue, which is your fat mass.

"An easy way to do that is through a body composition test, which we do here at the TRAC," she said. "It's a great tool to determine your baseline fitness, to see if you need to lose weight, gain weight, maintain weight, increase your muscle tone or decrease your fat mass."

Jillson used the phrase "happy weight," which was discussed in SHAPE magazine in February, when talking about your ideal body weight.

"It might not be the weight you think you desire for yourself, that size 4 or 100 pounds, but it's your happy weight, the weight that you are happy at in this point in your life," she said. "It might not be number you would like but might be more realistic for your body."

To find your "happy" weight:

Multiply your height in inches by itself and then by 0.031. This is your weight at a body mass index of 22, in the middle of the healthy range, so it's a good place to start. However there are many different factors that contribute to your happy weight, so we can't stop there.

-Multiply your last number by 0.95 if you have a small frame; leave it alone if you have a medium frame and multiply it by 1.05 if you have a large frame.
-Add one pound if a sibling or parent is obese, which makes you two or three times more likely to be overweight.
-Add 2 pounds for each decade you are over 20.
-Add five pounds if you've had any children.
-Subtract one pound if you exercise and weight train once a week, 2 pounds if you do it three times a week and 3 pounds for five or more times a week.
"Muscle tone plays a major factor in your happy weight and body image," Jillson added. "The more muscle you have, the heavier you are going to be."
-Add four pounds if you smoked at least a pack a day for a year or more and have quit. (Most quitters gain weight, but the health benefits are well worth it.)
-Add one pound if you allow yourself a treat now and then.

Total everything and this is your happy weight!

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