Blog : InForm Fitness

Season It Up!

Ahh, Summer. After such a long, cold winter, I’m sure that many of us are now happily enjoying warmer temperatures, longer days, flowers in bloom, and of course, seasonal produce. For me, there is nothing quite like the taste of the season’s first tender asparagus and leafy greens, or the sweet berries, melons, and peaches that appear at the Farmer’s Market soon thereafter. The flavors and freshness of the fruits and vegetables that are locally grown and in season are unlike anything else that we find in our supermarkets all year round.

When we eat with the seasons, we are making a choice that reaps multiple benefits:

First, to our Health: Fruits and vegetables that are picked at the peak of freshness and are locally grown not only taste better, but they have higher nutritional value than produce that is shipped to us from across the country or from other parts of the world. The concentration of antioxidants is higher, the vitamin and mineral content is more potent, and our bodies seem to assimilate them better. Eating the variety of foods that are available each season also affords us the opportunity to diversify our diets and experiment with produce that we might not otherwise try. And diversity in our diets adds significant health benefits. According to Rachel Meltzer Warren, MS, one study that looked at the health benefits accruing to women who routinely ate a diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables from 18 different plant families showed that they had “significantly less damage to their genetic material than women who limited themselves to five plant families.” Variety, therefore, does more than just make food more interesting. It actually protects our health.

Second, to the Local Farmer: When you buy seasonal, locally grown foods, you are helping to support the regional farmers who depend on these crops for their livelihoods. In so doing, you are helping to keep your farmers in business while boosting your local economy. Locally grown foods also tend to be less expensive than the foods you purchase elsewhere, so they are often a more economical choice. And if you choose to take the extra step and buy organic, you are helping to support that important agricultural sector as well. It’s important to remember that as consumers, we have the power to “vote with our wallets” to support healthier farming trends. Supporting the organic farming community is money well spent in terms of the quality and purity of the food available to us. Last, but not least, I would argue that getting to know your local farmers helps better connect you with the food on your plates by recognizing who grew it for you and appreciating what they have provided.

Third, to the Environment: There are many environmental benefits that come from eating seasonal and local. Most obvious is that we reduce the number of miles that our food must travel before it reaches our plates, thereby reducing the fossil fuel expenditures and attendant greenhouse gas emissions involved in its transport. But locally grown organic foods have other environmental benefits as well, most notably avoiding the use of toxic chemicals and pesticides that can leach into our soil and poison our ground water. Buying local also helps promote our soil sustainability, since farmers must regularly rotate their crops to improve soil fertility and crop yields, which naturally enriches the soil and amplifies the nutrient density of the foods that they grow. And since most conventionally grown foods produced on industrial farms come from depleted soil, this is a huge plus, both for our health and for the planet.

So, what’s in season, and when? Here is a general guide for the Mid-Atlantic:

Winter: From December – February, look for apples, carrots, cauliflower, celery root, chard, chicory, collard greens, herbs, kale, leeks, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, spinach, sweet potatoes, turnips, and winter squash.

Spring: From March – May, look for apples, asparagus, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, chard, cherries, collard greens, fennel, garlic, herbs, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, nettles, onions, radishes, scallions, spinach, strawberries, sweet potatoes, and turnips.

Summer: From June – August, look for apples, arugula, beets, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, beans, cabbage, carrots, chard, cherries, collard greens, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, grapes, herbs, kale, leeks, lettuce, melons, mushrooms, nectarines, onions, peaches, peas, peppers, potatoes, radishes, raspberries, scallions, shallots, spinach, strawberries, summer squash, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes.

Fall: From September – November, look for apples, arugula, beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, chicory, collard greens, cucumbers, escarole, fennel, grapes, green beans, herbs, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, nectarines, okra, onions, parsnips, peaches, pears, potatoes, pumpkins, radicchio, radishes, raspberries, scallions, shallots, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, winter squash, and zucchini.

Remember, it’s in season for a reason. Here’s to your health!

Horsing Around: The Reclined Half Pass For Your Obliques

Laura Crump Anderson is an Equestrian Fitness Specialist at InForm Fitness Leesburg. She is certified as a personal trainer by the American College of Sports Medicine and specializes in working with riders of all ages and disciplines. Read more of her EN fitness columns here.

The reclined half pass for the obliques is an abdominal crunch that involves the muscles of the rider’s sides. Obliques are the muscles that one must engage to hold themselves upright in the saddle, so the rider sits centered and is not collapsing to the left or the right side.

It is simple-but simple does not mean easy.

1. 1. 1) Lie on your back with feet on the floor, and arms raised up with your fingertips touching the side of your head. *Do not apply any pressure or pull on your head with your hands.
2. Fiona Coulter, the assistant trainer at Sara Spofford Dressage in Waterford, VA. Photo courtesy Laura Crump Anderson

1. 1. 2) Bring your knees over to one side, stacked one on top of the other.
2. Photo courtesy Laura Crump Anderson.

1. 1. 3) Start the abdominal contraction motion by sitting up and engaging through your side obliques, bringing your right elbow up toward your right knee. Try and keep your legs down. But as ever, do not let perfect get in the way of good enough. The point is to engage your oblique side muscles.
2. Photo courtesy Laura Crump Anderson.

1. 4) The range of motion and movement should be short, so shoot for five seconds. At the top of the repetition, maintain the abdominal contraction for a two-second squeeze, and then in a controlled and slow manner, un-squeeze, and take another five seconds to lower yourself back down. The intensity will build, but never let yourself rest or disengage your core at bottom of the rep.

1. 1. 5) Time yourself and continue to do this exercise until the muscular fatigue literally brings you to temporary muscle failure. That’s the GOAL! Once achieved, switch to the other side.
2. Obliques are the muscles that one must engage to hold themselves upright in the saddle, so the rider sits centered and is not collapsing to the left or the right side. Photo courtesy Laura Crump Anderson.

Your obliques work together, so best to start on your weaker side first. When you switch to your stronger side, you already have pre-exhausted one side of the body, and the final GOAL is closer in sight. Whichever direction you start, if you are doing the exercise correctly, the second side, irrespective of its dominance in strength, should feel more challenging.

Interested in additional core strengthening exercises? Check out The Plank The One Exercise For Every Eventer and The Wheelbarrow: Two is Better Than One.

Feed Your Gut

FEED YOUR GUT

We’ve heard a lot about gut health lately, and with good reason. Good gut health translates to a strong immune system, a balanced metabolism, the effective breakdown and assimilation of our food, and, according to recent studies, good brain health as well. But good gut health is wholly dependent on the maintenance of a strong and healthy microbiome, that colony of “good” or friendly bacteria that lives in our gastrointestinal tract, comprising some 300-500 different bacterial species. Keeping that population healthy and viable is the key to making it all work. And in this world of highly processed food, refined carbohydrates, heavy antibiotic use, and environmental toxins, keeping our microbiomes healthy is no easy feat. Now, I know what you’re thinking — you’ve heard all this before and you know what to do. Just make sure to stock up on yogurt, pop a daily probiotic supplement, and you’re good to go, right? Well, not so fast…

It’s true that we need to consume a regular supply of probiotic and fermented foods to keep our gut microbiome well populated with friendly bacteria, especially since our lifestyle and eating habits often work to their detriment. Eating a variety of probiotic-rich foods daily should therefore be part of a healthy diet. Good examples of such foods include: yogurt, kefir, miso, tempeh, kombucha, kimchi, sauerkraut, raw pickles, and raw vinegars. And just for good measure, taking a high quality probiotic supplement is often recommended as well. But we need to continually nourish that good gut bacteria if they are to survive and thrive. Just as with any living organism, our good bacteria will die off if they are not properly fed. That is where prebiotics come in.

PREBIOTICS

Prebiotics are a category of foods that actually feed our good gut bacteria. They are non-digestible, high fiber compounds that are found in certain fruits and vegetables, as well as other plant-based sources. These prebiotic starches, while non-digestible to humans, are highly digestible to our beneficial bacteria, and are essential to maintaining their health. An added plus is that they are resistant to our gastric acid, which allows them to pass through to the intestinal tract intact, where they are then fermented and readily consumed by our hungry microbial population.

The regular consumption of prebiotic foods is important for us all, but particularly so for individuals who suffer from conditions of the digestive tract, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, colitis, and Crohn’s disease. But studies have shown that prebiotics offer other health benefits as well. They help to reduce our risk for cardiovascular disease and Type II diabetes by lowering cholesterol levels and regulating our blood sugar; they promote satiety, thereby keeping our weight at a healthy level; and they help to prevent certain types of cancers, most notably colon cancer. They are a fundamental component of a healthy diet.

WHAT FOODS ARE CONSIDERED PREBIOTIC?

Prebiotic-rich foods include:

Leeks
Onions
Garlic
Chicory Root
Asparagus
Jerusalem Artichokes (Sunchokes)
Soybeans
Legumes
Eggplant
Dandelion Greens
Burdock Root
Jicama
Chinese Chives
Wheat Bran
Oats
Rye
Bananas
Honey

SO, HOW MUCH SHOULD I EAT?

It is recommended that we consume at least 5 grams of prebiotic fiber a day to maintain optimal gut health. Much of that should be in raw form, to the extent possible, since cooking any fruit or vegetable acts to break down its fibers. But a combination of raw salads and lightly sautéed or steamed prebiotic vegetables should be more than adequate to meet our daily needs.

In terms of “bang for the buck”, chicory root delivers the highest percentage of prebiotic fiber by weight, at nearly 65 percent, while bananas deliver the lowest, with only 1 percent of fiber by weight. The rest of the foods listed above fall somewhere in between those ranges. It doesn’t take much to reach the desired 5-gram goal, but as with any dietary regime, variety is the spice of life. Experiment with including a wide assortment of prebiotic foods in your daily recipes, and you should be well covered.

So, the next time you’re at the Farmer’s Market, be sure to pick up some leeks, asparagus, garlic, and onions, thinking of the prebiotic benefits that will ensue! And while you’re at it, you just might want to throw in some dandelion greens as well. Your gut will thank you for it.

Back to Basics

BACK TO BASICS

We are what we eat, right? We’ve all heard the saying, but the statement is true. Just think about it. Everything that we ingest gets absorbed into our bloodstream and serves as the basis for nourishing our cells, building our tissues, boosting our immune system, and maintaining a healthy metabolism. So, it just stands to reason that our food choices can make all the difference when it comes to defining our health. But, unfortunately, making healthy choices has become an increasingly difficult task in today’s world. It seems we are assaulted on all sides by the temptation and convenience of highly processed foods that are largely devoid of nutritional value and saturated with unhealthy fats, refined carbohydrates, and a chemical cocktail of artificial dyes, flavors, and preservatives. In truth, the Standard American Diet (aptly known by its acronym “SAD”) is slowly, but surely, killing us. In the last 30 years, obesity rates in the United States have skyrocketed. Heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and autoimmune diseases are also on the rise, as are neurodegenerative diseases and mood disorders. And much of this can be blamed on our diet.

The multi-million-dollar diet industry certainly capitalizes on this national dysfunction. As more Americans have become obese and disease-ridden, quick-fix diets and self-help books have become all the rage. So many of us are looking for that “silver bullet” panacea that we hope will resolve all our problems. But there are so many conflicting options to choose from. Do we eat low-carb, low-fat, paleo, ketogenic, do a juice cleanse, or follow some other program of pharmaceutical or herbal intervention? It’s enough to make your head spin. It’s true that some of these programs do work for certain individuals, but most often, people try something out for a short period of time, but then resort back to their old eating habits. And in the process, they often regain whatever weight they might have lost, returning to an unhealthy physical state.

SO, WHAT CAN WE DO?

It’s quite simple — we get back to the basics. Author and food expert Michael Pollan probably stated it best when he advised us to, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” What this means is that we need to get back to eating whole foods that look and taste the way nature intended. Or as Pollan puts it, only eat foods your great-grandmother would recognize. That’s it. Our fruits and vegetables should come fresh from the farm, orchard, or garden. Our food animals should be raised without stress and unreasonable confinement, and they should be fed natural diets without added antibiotics, chemicals, or hormones. Similarly, our grains and legumes should be unrefined, and not subjected to genetic alteration and toxic applications of pesticides and herbicides. If we follow these simple guidelines, chances are that our bodies will soon heal themselves, our weight will naturally regulate, and our systems will return to a healthy condition of homeostasis.

SOME BASIC GUIDELINES

Here are some general suggestions for optimizing our diet and health:

Eat a variety of produce in its natural form, direct from the farm or garden.

Choose foods that are organic and locally grown, whenever possible.

Avoid Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s).

Eliminate refined sugar and flours, as well as excess sodium.

Eat grass-fed, pasture-raised meats, but keep meat consumption to a minimum.

Eat fish that are wild caught, opting for smaller varieties that are less susceptible to mercury contamination.

Include modest amounts of healthy, plant-based fats in your diet, such as those derived from nuts, olives, and avocados.

Avoid processed foods.

Cook your own food and experiment in the kitchen. It’s a wonderfully creative activity, and you’ll have the added benefit of knowing what’s in your food.

Drink plenty of water to keep your body well hydrated.

This is not to say that you can’t partake in a favorite food indulgence from time to time. In fact, I would encourage that. Occasional treats are part of what makes life enjoyable and keeps you from feeling deprived. But I prefer to follow the “90/10 Rule”, striving to eat clean and healthy 90 percent of the time, with 10 percent left to delicious discretion. No guilt, and no obsession. It’s all about moderation.

The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates famously said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. He believed that correcting imbalances or dis-ease in the body could primarily be accomplished through diet. In truth, I believe that Hippocrates had it right. Achieving good health is not rocket science. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. It’s about getting back to the basics and tuning in to what our bodies have been telling us all along. Let’s return to some ancient wisdom. Let’s get back to our roots — quite literally. We will all be healthier for it.

Revise Resolutions Into Goals

Crowding Out in 2018

We’ve all made those grandiose New Year’s promises, even knowing their fateful doom from the outset. Notwithstanding, most of us start the year off with genuine sincerity and an intent for better bodies, minds, and careers in the year ahead. How then do we so quickly lose motivation to maintain our “resolutions” and then settle back into old routines?

We know the pattern well: gym crowds surge in January, only to start waning thin again mid-February. Whatever the resolution be, either the sense of urgency goes away or its magnitude overwhelms, and the behavioral change we once sought gets shelved either indefinitely, or until next January. The Winter Season is especially tough, when many of us struggle most to maintain any resolve, no less get out of bed.

Our strides for personal progress succeed when we make ourselves the priority, period. Even still, no real success is gained on sheer optimism alone. A common pitfall is that we have too restrictive a focus on what we can’t have, can no longer do, or want to exclude, rather than what we can have more of, want to do and want to attract more of into our lives.

Let’s examine one of the most-common New Year’s resolutions – to lose weight. In this effort, most everyone has a long list of foods in their heads of what they are not allowed to eat. What if instead, we focused on just a list of beneficial foods to incorporate into our diets? ‘Crowding out,’ a term coined by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, refers to the natural process that happens when you add more of the good stuff in first: the more healthy foods you add to your existing diet, the less room you’ll have for junk. Literally, we can crowd out the bad by just focusing on what we want more of, until we reach a balanced diet that is sustainable. This strategy need not only apply to what we eat.

Take this one step further and examine the life-giving foods that are not on our plates, such as healthy relationships, regular physical activity, a fulfilling career and a spiritual practice. Ask whether these ‘foods’ are in enough abundance to fill your soul and satisfy your hunger for life. Again, when we feel satiated and in balance, we supplement less, and what no longer serves us will lose ground.

It’s not too late to revise our 2018 ‘resolutions’ into personal goals to ‘crowd out’ the unwanted with more of the wanted. Rather than lofty resolutions, set goals that are specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and timely. Most importantly, as you progress towards your goals, continuallyR re-evaluate them for relevance, make adjustments when necessary, and recognize and reward the smaller successes along the way.

Ultimately, the question we need ask ourselves is whether our personal goals truly inspire us, or whether they are items best kept for a ‘to-do’ list. Long-term success of any goal depends on the formation of positive and sustainable habits that bring enjoyment and enrichment into our lives. Another key determinant of our success is how do we react when we slip up? Whatever the misstep, what matters most is how we handle it. Don’t let your own humanity derail you – accept the hiccup and get right back on track.

Chronic Inflammation And How To Tame It

Chronic Inflammation and How To Tame It

A stressful life, poor diet, and toxic people, we would all happily trade with a more balanced existence filled with nourishment, inner growth and conscious living. Sure, why not? But it’s not always so easy, when our go-go lifestyles encompass a daily barrage of toxins, infectious agents and stress, seen and unseen. The connection between diet and lifestyle, chronic inflammation and disease, is very real and our daily choices all have either a pro- or anti-inflammatory effect.

Immune System Response

Chronic inflammation arises from an immune system response that’s out of control. When inflammation as an immune response is never “shut off,” so to speak, the constant production of immune cells can do permanent damage.

What we eat, drink, and think can create a cascade of inflammation in our bodies. When our body hits an inflammatory overload, our defense system gets so overwhelmed and confused that our well-meaning immune system turns on itself, destroying healthy cells, tissue, and, well, everything else too.

Over time, chronic inflammation wears out your immune system, leading to chronic diseases and other health issues, including cancer, heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes, stroke, asthma, autoimmune diseases (i.e., Crohn’s), allergies, irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis, osteoporosis, and premature aging.

Inflammatory Agents

Causes of chronic inflammation are countless and numerous factors trigger them. But we are not helpless. Major risk to long-term health and wellbeing remains within our control.

First, we can crowd out inflammatory foods by adding a variety of plant- based whole foods to your diet. These foods will flood your body with the vitamins, minerals, cancer-fighting phytochemicals, antioxidants and fiber it needs to recover from chronic inflammation. Meanwhile, foods to avoid like the plague include: Common Vegetable Oils and Trans Fats; Refined Grains; and Refined Sugar (and other foods with high glycemic values).

Secondly, listen to your GUT! With your gut holding approximately 60- 70 percent of your immune system, it’s a great place to start reducing inflammation. The promotion of healthy gut flora with probiotics is an excellent start.

Third, as we get older, foods that never bothered us before, like dairy and wheat, may trigger chronic low-grade indigestion or other seemingly minor symptoms that put our immune system on guard — with additional inflammatory concerns to follow. Common allergens like casein and gluten (proteins found in dairy and wheat) are quick to spark the inflammatory cascade.

Rest and Recovery

Your body is hard at work repairing and restoring you on a cellular level while you sleep. If you’re exhausted, you’re cheating your immune system, which means it needs to kick into high gear — chronic inflammation.

Psychological Stress

Persistent stress takes a steady toll on your immune system, your adrenals, and your central nervous system. Stress also produces more of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol directly influences your insulin levels and metabolism, also playing a role in chronic inflammation. With inflammation, painful emotional baggage, negative thoughts and internalized feelings are as harmful as physical stress, but often overlooked. Focusing on stress reduction and safe care, whether it’s through more sleep, yoga, meditation, long walks, less technology or a much-needed vacation could save you!

Toxins

Reduce toxins in your food, home and personal care products. Cut down your exposure by eating organic foods whenever possible and choosing non-toxic personal care and cleaning products.

Bottom Line

Chronic inflammation can lead to disease, yes. But the great news is that an anti-inflammatory lifestyle can bring optimal health and well-being. Nutrition, strength training, adequate rest, can yield many benefits, including reduced symptoms of arthritis, inflammatory bowel syndrome, lupus and other autoimmune disorders, and decreased risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, depression, cancer and other diseases. Not to mention, a tremendous improvement in energy and mood.

InForm Fitness Podcast Recap

InForm Fitness Has A Podcast?

In contemplating the relative success of the InForm Fitness Podcast – 20 Minutes with Adam Zickerman & Friends – I was struck by both the daring of it and its underlying commitment to InForm’s Vision, Mission and Core Values. InForm Fitness took on the podcast project, considering how it aligned with our core values – to respect the value of time, honor the genius of simplicity, while using information to motivate and encourage. Those values represent who we are and, well, the Podcasts themselves tell the story of why we do what we do.

Build Muscle Safely and Efficiently

For over 20 years, InForm Fitness has been bucking convention. We believe in only one singular purpose of exercise – to build muscle safely and efficiently. But, why? And how is it that we promise optimal strength and physical potential throughout a Client’s lifetime, without compromising their health or risking injury? Hmmm. Well, much of the Podcasts’ content explain the precise how, and why.

Twenty Minutes of Fitness Science

Adam is an educator and sets the tone for the entire, extended InForm Fitness Team. Despite some initial and natural misgivings – I think his exact words were “like having a party that no one shows up to” – Adam has led the charge to deliver the perfect 20-minute weekly cocktail of science and sass to a rapidly growing audience – complete with real talk, related to your exercise and nutrition.

Having just completed Season 3, we are not only relieved, but thrilled that it’s been a resounding success! Season 3 concluded with Episode 32 and 9,030 episode downloads, so we’re smirking… just a little.

VIP’s of Fitness

Who are the usual suspects in each episode? The technical ring leader is Tim Edwards – Founder of InBound Films and InBound Podcasting Network. For Tim, capturing the stories of small businesses and their owners through video and podcasts is his true passion. Also noteworthy, Tim is a Client.

There’s always Adam Zickerman – the Adam Zickerman – behind it all. But he’s not the star. Nor are his sidekicks Sheila Melody, General Manager at the Toluca Lake, CA Studio, or General Manager at the NYC flagship Studio, Mike Rogers. The real VIPs are all the special guests and they’ve put out quite the line-up.

Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project

Among the most popular episodes are the very first, “Adam, you look like crap!” Well, you’ve got to listen to that one. Also, there’s interviews with best-selling authors like Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project and biochemist Sylvia Tara of The Secret Life of Fat. And, some testimony from the likes of biomechanics expert Bill DeSimone. These are some seriously heavy hitters!

Our audience has also heard from Exercise Physiologist and Certified Master Trainer, Ryan A. Hall, Dr. Martin Gibala, author of The One-Minute Workout (ahem…that’s a whole 19 minutes shorter than ours). We’ve got Joanie Pimentel, from the Los Angeles based rock band No Small Children, sharing about her 2-year, 118-pound weight-loss journey with InForm Fitness.

And, of course, more on the importance of building muscle, our definition of “high-intensity,” the cardio myth, stretching, and burning fat.

Adam himself shares about both his 90-day physical transformation strictly following the Ketogenic Diet and confessions how he aggravated an old back injury doing his very own workout!

And in typical tribute fashion, Adam provides a very descriptive and detailed definition of a high-intensity workout from Ken Hutchins, one of the pioneers of this slow motion, high-intensity strength training system.

More InForm Fitness Podcasts to Come

Over the course of several forthcoming articles, I will delve into a few of the podcasts; both touching on the highlights and identifying the parallels which tie it all together. For now, just the broad strokes.

So, there’s nothing like a little success and validation to get the tracks greased. So … what’s up for Season 4, you ask? We are going to have ‘the Ladies of InForm Fitness,’

rock-star Client testimonials and real stories of dramatic life change, plus more experts on nutrition and exercise science. Be sure to catch up on all you’ve missed and tune in for Season 4.

Where to Find InForm Fitness Podcasts?

For reference, our podcast platforms include: iTunes, SoundCloud, Acast, TuneIn, OverCast. Stitcher & iHeart Radio soon.

Bone Broth: Miracle Food?

As you know, the InForm Fitness Team is certainly passionate about high-intensity strength training and helping our Clients reach their peak physical condition. Yet, we never lose sight of the critical role excellent nutrition plays – without it, achieving our goals is impossible.

But what is excellent nutrition? I can’t count the times people have asked me, “Which is better for me, broccoli or cauliflower?” Or, “Is this vegetable or that protein a cure-all?”

My answer is a resounding “NO” each time. It’s not just one thing that you eat; it’s the culmination of all the individual choices. Asparagus is great, don’t get me wrong, but eating only asparagus won’t get you to where you want to be.

Enter Bone Broth – the newest super-food on the scene, said to be the magical elixir for every and all ailments. While bone broth is a traditional food, long renowned across the globe for its curative properties, the list of its healing and restorative benefits seems to be growing lately. Indeed, reported to possess an exhaustive list of transformative properties, bone broth is said to cure everything from digestive disorders and psoriasis, as well as improve joint function and modulate the immune system.

Can it cure cancer? Will it give you six-pack abs and bring your sexy back? No, no, and sadly, no. But, as I always tell my friends and Clients alike, bone broth can be a key ingredient to a healthy life, as it’s both extremely nourishing and hydrating for the body. The vitamins, minerals and diversity of amino acids that you’ll get from bone broth make it equivalent to drinking a multivitamin. It’s not the miracle cure, but that “liquid gold” is still really good stuff!

While there seems to be some validity to the claim that bone broth supports immune function and digestion, very little science supports many of the other claims. For example, the claim that the collagen provides the amino acid building blocks to improve our connective tissue, while in truth, the body will use the amino acids wherever they are needed. Just because they come from connective tissue, doesn’t mean they’ll go to connective tissue.

Now, I should add here that I love bone broth and I love to cook! I come from a long lineage of eastern European relatives that have passed along their recipes for “Jewish Penicillin.” While homemade bone broth gives recipes that amazing umami, I also like to have a cup handy just to sip on, especially when intermittent fasting.

That said, I don’t always want a simmering stock pot on the stove. While relatively easy to make, and even with my Grandmother’s tried and tested recipe, I just don’t always want to deal with all the rigmarole. Yet, despite its recent popularity, it turns out buying good quality chicken or beef bone broth is not so simple.

So, I found a place to make it for me!

My local butcher, Center Cuts, in Roslyn, New York, where I’ve been going for years, didn’t make bone broth…but they do now! But being the loyal and charming patron that I am, they agreed to make it for me.

Now enter our very own LABEL, Bad to the Bone Broth, currently available at our New York metro area studios! Grandma would be so proud.

Bone broth has so many different iterations and potential ingredients that to list them here would include all the bones of the different animals we eat, vegetables we devour and spices that we adore. If you want to have a go at making your own brew, I’d suggest starting with a simple, nutrient-dense recipe, like the Broth for Long Life from the New York Times, as your base framework.

And, of course, if you don’t want to take the time to make it yourself, stop by one of our metro New York studios and grab some of our Bad to the Bone Broth. You’ll love it.

Free Weights Vs Machines

In this so called scientific age, the 40-year old debate still rages: is it free weights or exercise machines that deliver the best results?

Proponents in the free-weight camp often contend, ‘Machines are inefficient —targeting only one or two muscle groups at a time’ or ‘Only free weights can improve coordination by working stabilizer muscles.’

Machine advocates aren’t without their sweeping generalizations either. They contend ‘Machines allow you to focus your mind on the effort, as opposed to the mechanics of the movement.’ How about this doozy from the internet marketer, Dr. Mercola who claims, “One advantage of machines is they allow you to lift heavier weights.” Huh? That’s like saying you like the Celsius scale better than Fahrenheit because it rarely goes over 30 degrees in the summer. What Dr. Mercola failed to point out is that the body perceives a 150-pound barbell bench press the same as a 300-pound MedX machine chest Press. Although the weights are clearly different, the resistance measured in foot-pounds is the same. But I digress.Continue reading “Free Weights Vs Machines”

Back Spasms from Exercise

Just recently I lost several days of my active life to back spasms.

Back spasms are sudden involuntary contractions of any muscle in your back. Spasms are caused by either a weakness or injury to the muscles, tendons or ligaments. Not everyone experiences back spasms, but almost everyone’s back gets more vulnerable with age. My sincere hope is that yours never does. Breathtakingly painful and often debilitating, muscle spasms can knock you out of the game.

We Baby Boomers now find ourselves in a Catch 22 situation. We know we need to exercise to gain muscle mass and improve our body composition as we age. Yet, as we get older we nurse those nagging injuries and physical problems that accumulate over time, such as bad knees, stiff shoulders, and tricky backs. We walk around with life wounds while we continue to lose muscle at an alarming rate. Baby Boomers face two equally undesirable alternatives:

Either workout out to prevent muscle loss and get hurt, or
Don’t work out and suffer the dismal effects of age-related muscle loss and atrophy.

Even though we know the key to optimal health as we age is to gain muscle mass and improve our body composition, the fear of exacerbating our war wounds keeps many of us sedentary.

My own experience is a good example. I have back problems and have spent my life strengthening my back while trying to avoid reinjuring it. I suffered a back injury when I was barely a teenager, which required back surgery. I had made my condition worse by improperly lifting weights, overtraining, horseplay, and competitive sports leaving me vulnerable ever since.

I use the InForm Fitness model of slow and intense. Exercise has to be intense in order to strengthen, and that can be challenging. Intense exercise can exacerbate old wounds. As the Founder of InForm Fitness’ Power-of-10 Workout, I make the claim every day that we offer the safest, most efficient strength training program. Yet, I suffered an injury while exercising that resulted in acute, knock-you-on-your-ass, back muscle spasms. You can imagine my dilemma as to whether or not I should fess up or cover up my recent injury.

The truth is, accidents happen, even to pros.

My mistake was simple – I lost focus as I was self-training. My mind was racing in several directions during my workout. So, there I was, half way through my leg press routine and my mind took a hike into the “what-if” future. As my hips lifted slightly, SNAP – I tweaked something in my lower back. I reassessed, put my hips back down, checked my posture and position, and carried on.

I knew that I would be sore for a few days, but if I don’t challenge myself, nothing changes.

A few days later, while at home, and after having spent hours at my desk and even longer behind the wheel of my car, I reached to open the refrigerator door when I felt a sudden and severe jolt of pain. I went down on the kitchen floor and felt as if I were being tortured with jolts of electric shocks as though some evil antagonist was attempting to extract a confession.

I promise…I am not exaggerating.

As I lay on the kitchen floor with the breath knocked out of me from painful contractions, I wondered about my life’s mission: to create the safest and most efficient workout possible. Were these muscle spasms a wake-up call that something is wrong with the workout?

No, nothing is wrong with the InForm Fitness workout. While I have never claimed that this is the Perfect Workout, I remain steadfast that we offer the best workout available. Our Strength Training Instructors undergo rigorous preparation, our equipment is customized to meet exacting standards, and the protocol has been developed over years of research and trials, and has been successful for countless clients.

I got hurt because I lost focus. That’s one of the reasons workouts at InForm Fitness are one-on-one. Our instructors make sure you are working out with good form and they keep you in the moment, concentrating on what you are doing. There is nothing wrong with in the InForm protocol or our equipment.

I hate to think of what condition I could have been in if my seconds-long lapse of concentration from perfect form and control occurred during a workout like CrossFit, which is already fraught with potential injury. That ‘tweak’ could have been my last!

So the moral of this story is to not to give up. Continue to exercise with intensity, stay focused and be safe! Here’s to your good health, safe and efficient workouts and all the benefits they reap!