Packed on a Few Extra LBS? Here's a Solution

Tis' the Season....for Fitness!

It’s that time of the year when I always get lazy. The holidays, family, big meals and parties are all too much to resist. I always end up putting on weight and losing fitness. I usually show up at the first race of the new season looking like the Pillsberry Dough Boy. This year I decided to try something different. I went to my local gym and sought out their best trainer to set me up with a good fitness program. This young guy, about 25, was very enthused. He started rattling off all the things he could do to keep me fit thru the holidays and beyond. I think the calculator in his head was spinning out of control as he imagined all the workout hours he could bill me. Everything sounded great until he asked me what I wanted to get in shape for.  When I answered the upcoming MX season he almost fell off his stool. His first words after he regained some composure were “you’re kidding, you’re too old for that crazy stuff." I told him I was serious and he asked “why would anyone want to do flips on a motorcycle?”  I asked him if he knew anything about motocross and he said sure I saw the X Games on TV. He was still sitting there babbling about his program as I got in my car and drove off in search of someone more competent. This experience got me to thinking about what were the components I was looking for in a fitness program. After some thought I decided I needed a flexible schedule with a trainer that understood MX and believed in competition at any age. Well what else? I decided I needed help with work outs, stretches, nutrition and a few new riding tips wouldn’t hurt. An old dog can always learn new tricks. My search was frustrating because none of the gym trainers really knew anything about moto, finally I realized the answer could be found on the internet.

Let me introduce you to our newest affiliate Ryno Power Gym. You will find a link in the upper right side of the site. This is the perfect training platform. Not only is it available 24/7 in your home it is complete. The program covers everything you could want and I think the trainer knows a little about the subject of MX.  Motocross asks a lot of the body and requires it to be strong, stable, coordinated and balanced with speed, intensity and focus. No other sport asks this much at once, so it is very important to train smart, not hard, in order to make improvements in your riding. Most of us have to integrate workouts into our work schedule. The cool thing with this website is that you can build your own workouts through these video movements, or you can follow the workouts Ryno has personally set up. I highly recommend this site for anyone interested in fitness and health. You will also learn more about riding faster and safer.

We will be posting monthly contributions from Ryno here at mx43.com. Enjoy this short work out video.

Checked Your Gluten Lately?

Gluten Free

So most of us have heard the term “gluten free” or may know someone that is gluten free, has a gluten allergy or that may even be celiac.  It is becoming more and more commonly diagnosed as people have become more aware of what gluten really is.   I am personally completely gluten free.  I was diagnosed years ago as being on the cusp of celiac disease and was warned if I did not stop eating gluten, that I would soon be joining the club.  Clearly, my body despised gluten and I had all the signs; a distended “pooch” in my lower abdomen, I was sluggish all the time, often felt like my brain was “foggy” (yes, I am blond, no that had nothing to do with it), I was always sick with some illness and caught everything going around and I always had stomach issues and pain associated with them.  I do recall having eczema and rashes that would just appear also.  Gross, I know.  So, I was diagnosed and being really young at the time, I stuck with it for a bit, but then I rebelled against my diagnosis and went back to eating gluten.  It was a terrible choice on my behalf and when I realized I was spending more and more time at the doctor’s office somewhere along the way, it finally clicked.  I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.  I have been extremely active my whole life and the way I was feeling was from the things I wanted to do.  So, one day I just made a conscious decision that I was going to give up gluten completely and since that day, I have not looked back!

So I write this through the eyes of experience and over the past 17 years, I have read and learned as much as I possibly could about gluten and its effects on the body.  I am not (yet!) a registered dietician, but I can honestly tell you that I have taken nutrition courses, as well as fitness courses and my library is full of nutritional books that I have done my own research with.  I have always felt that knowledge is power and when I was diagnosed and decided to become completely gluten free for good, I wanted to know everything there was to know about my condition.  So I am going to share some of my knowledge with you and bear with me, as I will try to take it easy on your brain and not overwhelm you!  They say too much information and a confused mind makes people just say “no”…that is not what I want to achieve here.  I hope you can gain something from reading this excerpt on gluten and becoming gluten free.   Here we go!

What is gluten?  Gluten is a special type of protein that is commonly found in rye, wheat and barley. Therefore, it is found in most types of cereals and in many types of bread. Not all foods from the grain family, however, contain gluten. Examples of grains that do not have gluten include wild rice, corn, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, teff, quinoa, sunflower seeds and oats. Gluten enables bread to be able to rise before it is baked. In addition, gluten firms up when it is cooked and, with the help of starch, helps ensure the bread maintains its proper shape. Gluten also has an absorbent quality, which is why bread is capable of soaking up broth. On the downside, gluten is believed to be partly responsible for causing bread to become stale.

Incidence of gluten intolerance is widespread. 70% of Americans with a European descent have a gluten sensitivity or worse and many don’t even know it.   Upwards of 15 percent of the entire American population suffer from this condition, but only about five percent of these people have been diagnosed and treated.

These are symptoms for gluten intolerance and celiac disease.  The two conditions somewhat fall into the same category, however they are very different at the same time.

• Weight loss or weight gain
• Nutritional deficiencies due to malabsorbtion e.g. low iron levels
• Gastro-intestinal problems (bloating, pain, gas, constipation, diarrhea)
• Fat in the stools (due to poor digestion)
• Aching joints
• Depression
• Eczema
• Head aches
• Exhaustion, low energy
• Irritability and behavioral changes, mood swings
• Infertility, irregular menstrual cycle and miscarriage
• Cramps, tingling and numbness
• Slow infant and child growth
• Decline in dental health

Celiac disease is an immune reaction, a severe onset allergic reaction, to gluten. While celiac disease is initially an autoimmune disorder, it is also a disease of malabsorbtion, because essential nutrients are not absorbed. Therefore one of the most devastating symptoms of long-term undiagnosed celiac disease is malnutrition. Gluten intolerance often has a slower onset than celiac disease, and may be hard to diagnose due to the broad range of symptoms and causes. Many people experience different symptoms or have symptoms that are similar to another condition and are often misdiagnosed.

The simplest way to discover whether or not you are sensitive or intolerant is to take 2 weeks off of gluten completely.  Do this when you don’t have any big parties or fun things going on so you can stay on track.  Now when I say completely, I mean do not even have one bite of something containing gluten. No soy sauce, no soup with a sprinkle of wheat, not one bit of pizza…it’s only for two weeks and if you feel better it will be the best thing you could have done for yourself! Now, once your two weeks of no gluten is done, start introducing gluten back in slowly with different foods, one by one.  If you get a reaction, you will know what food causes it.  You will know if you feel better without the gluten almost right away and if you do, cut the gluten for good!  If you don’t really notice a difference, go back to the gluten life you were leading.  Plain and simple, no doctor bills involved!

-Jenn Hughes, Certified Nutritionist and wife of MX Star Ryan Hughes

Time To Hit The Weights!

The new medicine:  Muscle strength

It’s not just for bodybuilders. Strength training is critical for all of us.

When it comes to exercise, regular brisk 30-minute walks through your neighborhood are no longer enough. Research shows that strength training is also key to a longer, healthier life. “Strength training in older adults is very important,” says Kelly Macauley, a clinical instructor with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions.  “It can slow and reverse age-related declines in muscle mass and muscle endurance, which can keep older adults healthier, longer.”

Benefits of stronger muscles

As we age, our muscle tissue begins to decrease. By age 70, most of us have lost a quarter of our muscle strength. That’s why strength training (also called resistance training and weight training) is so vital. Research shows it can help reduce the risk of falls, osteoporosis, back pain, depression, and even arthritis. “Increased strength increases stability around joints”, says Macauley. “That helps to reduce pain associated with arthritis.”

      Studies released earlier this year suggest that older adults who engage in strength training two or three times a week appear to have improved cognitive function compared with those who don’t. A study from researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health published online August 6 in Archives of Internal Medicine found that 150 minutes of weight training per week can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 34%. And, of course, weight training fights obesity. “The more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolism is at rest,” Macauley says. “Therefore, a person with more muscle mass burns more calories.”

Getting started

Strength training, like any form of exercise, challenges the heart. Check with your doctor to be sure your heart will respond positively to the challenge. Strength training also can injure your muscles and tendons, if not done properly. “There certainly are risks associated with beginning strength training without the guidance of a trained professional, like a physical therapist, as well as clearance by a physician,” says Macauley. “Potential risks can include muscle strains, tendon or ligament injury, or even more serious injury if the person has an underlying disorder that isn’t accounted for with their program.” Supervised programs, such as those offered at senior centers, the YMCA or private health club, are a good place to start.

      To avoid injury, Macauley recommends only a few exercises at t low intensity until the correct form is mastered. Working all the major muscle groups is important, but older adults should focus on strengthening the muscles around the hips and pelvis, as well as the large leg muscles (hamstrings and quadriceps), especially if you have knee arthritis.

Types of strength training

The most common workout options include weight machines and free weights. Machines can be beneficial because they guide you through a movement. They can be adjusted for height and differences in the lengths of each user’s arms and legs, and it’s important to make those adjustments. If the machine is not fitted properly, it can lead to an undesired movement pattern and to injury. Free weights allow a person to perform an exercise using a weight with a more natural arc when using a dumbbell than you can when using a machine. This helps improve coordination and balance, as well as fine motor control. “However, this can also lead to injury if the person is not properly trained in the desired movement patterns,” Macauley says. For example, lifting heavy free weights can cause you to arch your back incorrectly during an exercise. Because machines provide more support, there are fewer chances to injure yourself than there are with free weights.

      No matter which type of weight you’re lifting, Macauley suggests starting slowly. Use only 40% to 60% of the maximum weight you’re able to lift in each exercise. For example, if the most you can lift doing a bicep curl one time is 10 pounds, you should start by doing several repetitions of just 4 to 6 pounds. Then you can work your way up to several repetitions of 60% to 85% of your maximum in the months ahead. Macauley says a physical therapist or trainer can help you best decide which exercises are right for your body and current health.■

Harvard Health Letter

Harvard Medical School

Nobel Prize Winning Science Leads To Better Health