Weight Management
Q: I'm getting married soon. I want to lose some weight and trim my upper back and calves. What exercises will target these areas?
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| Jaime Longval, M.S., C.S.C.S. |
A: Exercise will help trim your upper back and calf muscles, but unless you burn the fat around those muscles you won't be able to see them.
To lose that fat weight without reducing calorie intake, you should gradually work up to doing moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise (such as brisk walking or biking) for about 60 minutes daily on at least five days of the week. You can lose weight with just 30 minutes of activity on at least five days of the week if you cut the amount of calories you eat and/or increase the intensity of your physical activity.
Target the upper back and calves with these exercises:
Calf raises:
- You may want to hold on to something to keep your balance.
- Stand straight with your knees slightly bent and your abdominal muscles tight.
- Roll up onto your toes so that your heels are off the ground. Then slowly lower heels back to the ground. Repeat.
- Work up to three sets of 12 repetitions each, performed at least three days per week.
- Once 12 repetitions become too easy for you, add intensity by holding a five-pound hand weight, gallon of milk or any similar household item. Use both hands to hold one weight loosely in front of you or hold a weight in each hand.
- Leave at least one day of rest between the days you do this exercise.
Seated row (for upper back):
- Using an exercise band, sit on the floor with your feet out in front of you and your legs slightly bent.
- Wrap the band around your feet so you are holding one end of each band in each hand.
- Your palms should be facing each other with your arms fully extended in front.
- While keeping your upper body erect and not moving, pull the band back toward your chest. As you pull, keep your elbows in, next to your ribs.
- Straighten your arms in a slow and controlled motion. Repeat.
- Work up to three sets of eight to12 repetitions, three days per week. Once 12 repetitions become too easy, hold the band further down to increase its tension.
- Allow at least one day of rest between the days you perform this exercise.
Consult your health care professional before starting any exercise or weight loss program. Also, a nutritionist can be a wonderful resource to help you develop a healthy way to cut calories.
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Q: I am a 54-year-old, postmenopausal woman who has developed a flabby stomach and "rounded" shoulders. Because of this, I tend to strain my neck trying to do sit-ups to tighten my tummy. Do you have any suggestions on strengthening my upper neck and shoulders? Is there an alternative to sit-ups for reducing the size of my stomach?
A: Doing sit-ups will make your abdominal muscles stronger and tighter, but will not get rid of your "flabby stomach." Although some fitness DVDs and advice in magazines and books may make you think that "spot reducing" is possible, in truth, you cannot exercise just one area of your body in hopes of reducing the fat in that area.
The only way to achieve the result you want is by increasing your daily physical activity with aerobic and resistance exercises. These will help reduce your total body fat.
The best way to help with your neck and shoulders is to focus on standing and sitting up straight. Pretend you have a pole going through your body, keeping you upright. Practice standing or sitting tall and strong with your shoulders back and your ears in direct alignment over your shoulders. Whenever you notice yourself slumping, realign the way you are standing or sitting.
From what you described, it's likely that the muscles in your chest, shoulders and neck are feeling tight and tense. You may want to see a massage therapist to help you reduce the tightness and tension in that area so you can start to build strength and increase flexibility.
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Q: During the winter, do you burn more calories exercising outside than you do when exercising inside? Or does air temperature not play a role?
A:The calories burned for any exercise remain constant for that exercise, with the number of calories used depending upon individual differences such as body weight and muscle mass. What changes with temperature (and humidity) is how you feel when you exercise. It's important to be aware of both factors when choosing an exercise environment.
When exercising in cold weather, the heat generated helps your body maintain its core temperature and feel relatively comfortable. A short warm-up and stretch are important precautions to take in cold temperatures to get your muscles ready for exercise.
In a warm or hot environment, your core temperature is already met and may rise further if it cannot rid itself of heat by sweating. Wearing less clothing is helpful, but air humidity is a major factor. To reduce body heat, you need to sweat and have that sweat evaporate. When humidity is high, the air is saturated with water, and very little evaporation can occur. That may prevent heat reduction.
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