Time, time, time. There never seems to be enough. This is especially true for busy executives and business travelers, not to mention parents, coaches, teacher, doctors, nurses… well, just about everyone in this over-scheduled world. Unfortunately, when Mr. Timecrunch visits, it’s usually our health that picks up the tab.
While wisdom certainly comes with age, so do a lot of other things – like decreased bone density, slowed metabolism, frailty/weakness, sleeplessness, and excess body fat – just to name a few.
The crucial element that I always recommend to people when they say they have been experiencing anxiety, depression, addiction/s of some sort, or even sleeplessness, is exercise. Almost every time, I get a response like, “Does that help you?” Then I get to explain to them why I am so incredibly passionate about fitness. I discuss the fact that I never used to enjoy working out, and, as a matter of fact, still don’t enjoy it, but rather enjoy the feeling it gives me afterwards. This then opens the gateway for me to plead my case as to my passion and explain the many benefits that fitness provides. Exercise has helped people in many ways, but especially in terms of boosting mood and keeping mental illnesses at bay, both of which have a direct impact on addiction.
The reason I live, eat, drink, and breathe all things fitness is because of how beneficial it has been on my own personal wellness journey. Rather than get into my whole life story, I will instead discuss how crucial fitness is to achieve sobriety. When people hear the term “sobriety” they tend to think of only substance abuse — mainly alcohol, opioids, or hard drugs. Not only can sobriety refer to the latter, it can also include medications that an individual was prescribed that their body happened to develop an addiction to, or could even refer to an undesirable behavior or reaction. For example, I had a client who would unconsciously binge eat after an unpleasant encounter with her then-husband, now ex-husband. Eventually, we realized that she was using food, and unhealthy foods at that, to make her feel better after arguments. In essence, she was supplementing her body with sugary foods that would help her body produce the dopamine her body was craving in order to produce the emotional high that would make her feel better. Here’s a different example: a different client would unconsciously lash out at her mother after having been insulted by her critical father. Once we realized why this was happening, I had her incorporate fitness into her daily schedule, right before she went home from school to her parents. Going to the gym every time she got angry with her father resulted in much less conflict between her and her mother, and, in conjunction with therapy, opened up a new line of communication between the two of them.
Another common comment I encounter is after discussing the fact that I generally hit the gym for an hour and a half each day. Almost every single time, I get the exact same response, “I wish I had your energy!” For me, it’s not energy, it’s anxiety. I have discovered that I cannot eliminate it any other way than, as I say, “working out until I pass out,” or at least, until I’m thoroughly exhausted. I have found many other individuals who share my same sentiment, most of whom have also endured several instances of trauma, with the later group showing the most benefit and overall improvement from fitness. There have been numerous studies about the positive impacts that physical activity has on an individual’s mood and overall state-of-being. Exercise has been proven to reduce anxiety by promoting positive adaptations of several physiological processes within the body, such as improving dysregulations of the HPA axis of the brain, restoring abnormalities in monoamine function, producing endogenous opioids in the brain, and increasing BDNF (brain-derived neurotropic factors). There have been studies that suggest that fitness may increase neurogenesis, as well. Exercise has also proven to reduce the psychological effects of anxiety as well, such as reducing anxiety sensitivity, improving one’s sense of self-efficacy, and providing “time out” from one’s daily activities and stressors.
In short, work out to “work it out.” All of the above are reasons why I always suggest to anyone struggling with their mental health that they start some sort of exercise regimen. Whether a person is addicted to a substance or even an undesirable or destructive behavior, fitness will improve the problem and provide results.
Tambryn Crimson-Dahn is a certified personal trainer, fitness coach, nutritionist, and addiction recovery specialist with 4 years of experience. After having worked in the gym industry, she founded and now operates her own company, Crimson Wholistic Fitness. She specializes in overall mental health and wellness, addiction, and relationships and how they can affect mental health.
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The average person starting an exercise program may have knee, or back pain, and goals other than “how do I get a six pack or run a marathon.” All the workouts in the world don’t mean anything if we can’t sit, stand, and get out of bed in ways that don’t strain our body.
Eating fewer calories, exercising more and still having a hard time getting those extra pounds off? Here’s a question for you: How’s your sleep?
I for one, every time I travel, seem to gain a couple of pounds just when I want to look my best.
I noticed that I tend to sleep less and intermittently when I am on the road. Once I settle again in a place, my sleep gets more regulated and I am able to drop those pounds.
I’ve adjusted my sleep pattern, as I have gotten older to help myself sleep better. The earlier I get up in the morning the better chance I have of getting to sleep that night and staying asleep for a longer period of time. I’m more energized, and when I eat, I eat less and feel more filled.
It turns out that there are many studies that indicate that sleeping less then 7 hours can increase body weight. One recent study with several pairs of twins, found that the twin who slept more than 9 hours was about half as likely to gain weight as the one that slept only 7.
Sleep deprivation affects your hunger urge. If you sleep less, you feel like eating more and you probably do. That’s because not sleeping increases your body’s level of ghrelin, the hunger hormone and decreases leptin the “I’m full” hormone.
A sleep study in Finland with middle-aged adults who had sleep problems found that women had greater sleep related weight gains than men. Though men were also affected. The study indicated that it seems the fewer hours you sleep the more calories you tend to eat the next day.
If you want a good night sleep here’s are some things to consider:
Exercise: Don’t exercise too late in the day. So many of us go to the gym after work but it can keep you up at night. Late exercise can prevent the body from making sleep-inducing melatonin for several hours.
Caffeine: It can take 6 or more hours to wear off. Having that cup of coffee after dinner, even with a low-fat dessert, may not be such a good idea.
Alcohol: A couple of drinks with dinner can wake you up in the middle of the night and make it hard to get back to sleep. I have a friend who swears by a glass or two of wine at lunch but never alcohol after 2pm. She says she sleeps like a baby at night. I think if I had a glass or two at lunch, I’d sleep like a baby at 2pm and be up for the night at 5.
Stress: And then there is our old buddy stress. We all have some level of stress and how we deal with it can keep us up at night. Getting yourself relaxed in quiet, dark, temperature controlled environment can relieve stress and induce a desire and ability to sleep.
So, what’s it going to be, wide awake at 3am or getting that beauty sleep and waking up lighter and brighter on your toes? Learning to get a good night’s sleep is a process. Don’t stress over it, it may keep you up at night.
Mirabai Holland MFA, EP-C, CHC is one of the foremost authorities is the health and fitness industry. Her customer top rated exercise videos for Age-Onset health issues like Osteoporosis, Arthritis, Heart Disease, Diabetes & more are available at www.mirabaiholland.com. Mirabai also offers one-on-on Health Coaching on Skype or Phone. Contact her at askmirabai@movingfree.com.
Question from Sam, age 84: Hi Pat! Sam, here. I appreciate your ‘real people’ common sense approach to this aging thing. Your 7S Buckets resonated with me, and I would like to report that I am doing my darndest to keep them ALL full and robust.
As health and fitness professionals we like to think of ourselves invincible. After all, we help people feel better, and accordingly, we should never do anything to appear less than indomitable. We also all know this is simply not true.
In Part 1, I reviewed the ACSM study goals, statistics and barriers to weightlifting unique to women
In this article, I’ll cover the three E’s for empowering women in the weight room, and translate these recommendations into strategies that non-professionals can implement for themselves.
Understanding how physical attributes of gyms perpetuate negative messaging regarding women’s bodies and harmful myths about women’s fitness.
Overcoming these barriers:
People will often gravitate toward their comfort zones and do exercise routines that are more familiar and that are easy to execute.
Overcoming these barriers:
Knowledge is power. Promoting an understanding of the principles of weightlifting and its benefits is key to debunking myths and misconceptions and building a healthy relationship with the barbell.
Common myths and misconceptions about weightlifting:
Overcoming these barriers:
This is the time of our lives when we need to kick the societal status quo to the curb and take our health and wellness into our own hands and away from destructive narratives. The world is our oyster. We have established our careers, raised our children, and had our share of triumphs and failures. With that comes the wisdom to pave our own way into this new prime of our lives.
So, whether it’s your first back squat with a PVC pipe or a deadlift PR (personal record), congratulations on forging a new frontier to being your fittest, strongest, most vital self!
Dr. Carla DiGirolamo is a double Board-Certified Obstetrician/Gynecologist and Reproductive Endocrinologist who specializes in the care of reproductive age and mid-life women. Carla completed her residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Brown University Medical School/Women and Infants’ Hospital and her Reproductive Endocrinology training at the Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard Medical School. She is a North American Meno
Fit Pros: Offer menopausal and perimenopausal women an individualized approach to training, nutrition and wellness as a Menopause Health and Fitness Specialist.
References
The hormonal changes of mid-life bring our muscle and bone mass under assault. As circulating estrogen declines and estrogen receptors in skeletal muscle become scarcer, changes in bone density, muscle mass, and metabolism become apparent.
Shoulder to shoulder with the importance of cardiovascular health, optimizing our muscle and bone health helps stave off decline in bone density which can lead to fracture, and can help mitigate the increasing insulin resistance that wreaks havoc on our changing metabolism.
To coin a phrase from Dr. Stacy Sims, there is a great benefit to women in this stage of life (and all stages of life) who “Lift heavy sh*t”. Now, if you have never lifted weights, this can sound intimidating. But don’t worry. You are not alone.
Historically, there have been many barriers to women in the weight room. Training environments where achieving a certain body image is the focus rather than building strength, healthy movement patterns, and improving body composition can be unmotivating and intimidating. The stigma of weightlifting as “masculine” or that it “makes you bulky” and the misconceptions that weightlifting is not beneficial for women are also among the many obstacles that women of all ages face.
In the May/June issue of ACSM Health and Fitness Journal, Claire Ford et al. do an excellent job of defining the obstacles that women face in the weight room and have created a framework called “The 3 E’s” that outlines strategies to overcome these barriers. I’ll take the summary points from this article and translate them into practical solutions for women and fitness professionals to empower themselves in the world of weightlifting.
Ford, C, Kercher VM, Kercher KA; ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal 27(3):p 14-19, 5/6 2023.
Goal of the study
Use a socioecological model to provide insight into the nature of women’s unique experiences with weightlifting and describe a practical approach for empowering women in this environment.
Some statistics
Just 2 days per week of resistance training can reap physical, mental, and emotional health benefits.
Only 25% of the US population meets these recommendations.
17.5% of women engage in weightlifting on a regular basis
Benefits of Weightlifting
Barriers to weightlifting unique to women
The notion that women face unique barriers to weightlifting has been a subject of investigation. Harne and Bixby organized these barriers into the following 3 categories:
Time / effort
Physical Effect
Social
The 3 E’s: A framework through which we can understand and address women’s barriers to weightlifting
After identifying and categorizing these unique barriers to weightlifting that women face, the authors created a framework upon which to overcome these barriers. This framework is called “The 3 E’s”.
This ACSM article speaks to an audience of fitness professionals and how the fitness industry can work to overcome these barriers.
In Part 2 of this article, I take this a step further and translate these recommendations for fitness professionals into strategies that non-professionals can implement for themselves.
Fit Pros: Offer menopausal and perimenopausal women an individualized approach to training, nutrition and wellness as a Menopause Health and Fitness Specialist.
Dr. Carla DiGirolamo is a double Board-Certified Obstetrician/Gynecologist and Reproductive Endocrinologist who specializes in the care of reproductive age and mid-life women. Carla completed her residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Brown University Medical School/Women and Infants’ Hospital and her Reproductive Endocrinology training at the Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard Medical School. She is a North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Certified Menopause Practitioner and has been featured in multiple podcasts and speakerships at various events discussing the physiology of the hormonal changes of menopause, hormone therapy and functional fitness training.
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