That's Fit

I'm too connected. I'll admit it. I'm texting, emailing, calling, and IMing waaaaaay too much these days. Entire hours often go by in which I don't have a face-to-face conversation with anyone. I would say I have a problem, but if a quote-unquote problem is designated by comparing an aberrant behavior against what has been deemed normative behavior, I can safely say that I don't have a problem at all. Everyone's plugged in these days. Even yesterday, as I collapsed into a chair at the airport -- after lugging my laptop, iPod, and camera through security, I struggled to find a plug socket to plug in my laptop. The difficulty did not come from finding the plug; rather, it came from finding a plug that wasn't already being used by other people with THEIR laptops. So, at least it would seem, we are all too connected these days.

This connectivity issue was studied by researchers at King's College in London, who found that almost two out of three people check email and/or text messages during their off-hours; meaning, either after they've left the office or even when on vacation. And, they also discovered that 20 percent of people answer a text message during a business or social engagement.

All this email checking, text message writing (BTW, calling text messages "writing" is a bit of a stretch), IMing, and every mode of electronic communication in between is making our workday 24 hours long and demanding a relentless commitment to every whim, desire, YouTube clip, and stupid question our friends and relatives can possibly dream up. In short, it's stressing us out. Finding quiet is near impossible when you're constantly interrupted by your annoying cell phone ring or the "Ba-Doop" sound it makes whenever you get a new IM. Do yourself a favor, turn everything off -- for at least a half an hour a day. Even longer if you can pull it off. Regroup and decompress a little. Enjoy a little Me Time. Disconnect. No message or phone call -- no matter how important it may seem -- compares to the importance of your health and wellness.

When it comes to putting in hardcore workout, I honestly don't know how some people do it consistently without music of some kind. Granted, many gyms have sound systems playing, but if your gym is anything like mine, the station is set to some of the worst music on all of planet earth. And then there are the people who follow a more monastic approach, working out in complete silence. I don't know how they do it, but to each their own, I guess.

Still, there is actually a growing body of evidence that suggests listening to music while working out can actually enhance performance. In a recent article in Maximum Fitness magazine, a senior instructor from the School of Human Kinetics at the University of British Columbia stated that some people experience central nervous system stimulation from music, which helps psych them up for heavy lifting (I'm paraphrasing here, of course).

So, whether you're into hip-hop, rock, country, techno, or pop music, it seems that plugging those ear buds into your ears while you workout may do more than distract you from the bad music being played at the gym; it may actually be helping you get a better workout.

An iPod's the one and only request on my birthday list. I can't wait to stuff my ears with motivating music as I jog this summer. Right now I'm stuck plugging headphones into the gym treadmill, trapped by the often boring TV flavors of the hour.

As MP3 players sweep through fitness, new downloadable fitness offerings are sprouting up. Downloadable training coaches are for sale touting audio, video or audio/video combinations to make sweat pour off the bods of fitness fanatics everywhere. If interested, don't miss this Consumer Reports-of-sorts article on downloadable coaches. You'll learn how to identify good sites from poor-quality, non-certified offerings. The article also shares feedback on several top sites tested such as:

• Cardio Coach
• iTrain
• Podfitness
• PumpOne
• Sound Body Trainer

That's Fit readers are constantly extolling the virtues of working out to a personalized mix of songs. I can't wait to join in the fun, and perhaps push a bit harder with a coach in my ear!

Some people hoard all their belongings, refusing to get rid of them for years and years. You know, packrats. Well, just yesterday, based on the fact that I've hoarded the same songs on my iPod for far too long, I officially diagnosed myself as being an iPod pack rat.

No word of a lie, I've had almost the same songs on my iPod for almost two years!! Though I've dropped a song here and there and added a few new tunes, by and large my song list has been the same. As for how this affected my workout, I no longer felt any motivation from hearing the same guitar riffs and techno beats over and over again. Ad nauseum, really. But then ... it happened. I accidentally erased my whole play list.

I don't know how it happened, nor do I really feel like revisiting the trauma I felt once I discovered that I had 100% available storage. Thankfully, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Rather than reloading all of the same songs, I decided to add completely different tracks. And tonight, while at the gym for the first time in almost two years with new songs to listen to, I had a killer workout. This comes as no surprise, really, for there have been numerous studies that linked listening to music and improved athletic performance.

The lesson I know I learned from all of this is that when it comes to working out, it's vital that you change your WHOLE workout every now and again. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to start wearing a leopard print leotard to the gym and drinking water from an old prospector-style canteen (things don't have to change THAT much!!), but I will certainly mix things up from time to time. To that end, I'd appreciate any music track selections any of you may have; songs that really help you pump you up for your workout. I will never again be an iPod pack rat!!

That's right! I went running with the Livestrong legend, and you can too!

Nike+ has created a 40 minute running workout featuring Lance Armstrong, and they generously allowed me to download and review it. And I'll tell you what -- 40 minutes on a treadmill has never gone by so fast. The mix of music included songs by artists like Weezer, Beck, and The All-American Rejects and, more importantly, had Lance Armstrong coaching me through the workout.

I definitely liked the extra motivation -- every time I wanted to slow down, I heard Lance's voice and thought of that scene in Dodgeball where he sees Vince Vaughn in the airport bar and talks to him about quitting:

Even with the best of intentions, as well as an admirable amount of effort, the weight sometimes doesn't come off!! Try as you might to get the needle on that scale to budge even the slightest bit, sometimes it's just not having it. This is especially true for people who have already lost quite a bit of weight and are now trying to take off those last ten pounds or so.

To help you shed those stubborn extra pounds, here is a quick tip from an article titled "Scale Stuck?", which appears in this month's edition of Self magazine. I'll be posting one of them a day for the next 10 days.

Hopefully these tips will help you figure out what's causing those pounds to stick around.

Quick Tip #8

Diet Flub: You taste while you cook - Now we're getting down to the minutia, I know. I realize it probably seems that way, but this tip does have merit. Even though those tastes of the pasta sauce, nibble of the chicken, sip of the wine, and handful off fruits may not seem like much, all together they add up to a fair amount of calories. If you're goal is to drop some of those extra pounds, the last thing you want to do is eat almost a meal's worth of calories before you even sit down at the dinner table.

Fix It: Occupy your mind with something else. Eating out of sheer boredom happens all too often, especially when our minds are free to roam about unsupervised. We mindlessly grab a bite of this, a handful of that, and a few nibbles of some of those. Making dinner, especially when done by yourself, can be a tedious process for some people. As a result, we snack. To that end, the best way to avoid this boredom-induced chomping from occurring in the kitchen is to keep your mind busy with something else. Try listening to your iPod, or working on a crossword puzzle (just don't get too caught up in trying to find a ten letter word starting with the letter C that is a beam supported only on one end*, or else you may accidentally start a fire). Also, according to the article in Self magazine, people tend to eat less if someone else is in the kitchen with them. Another strategy that may help is to keep a small dish of low-calorie vegetables handy for you to snack on, or even try chewing gum.

*Answer: Cantilever

I hate to admit it, but the iPod revolutionized the way I run. I remember my first run with it -- nothing bulky to hold, no switching sides of the tape -- just pure, energizing music. It helped me to run faster and further; however, I've run into a problem. I can't find earphones I like.

My original iPod earbuds fit me perfectly -- they stayed in place and caused no pain. However, they recently stopped working, so I tried my husband's earbuds -- no luck. I don't know what's different, but something is, and they slide out of my ears. I tried two other types of earphones -- one pair that was like earbuds but hooked over my ears, and the one that was like a standard set of earphones that also hooked over my ears -- and neither of them worked for me, either. The first didn't stay in place and the second pair really hurt the tops of my ears.

Do you have a pair of earphones you really like? I found this forum with some suggestions, but I'll hold off on shopping until I hear from some That's Fit readers.

Some people last a day. Others last a few weeks or a few months. And some people make it a life-long commitment. No, I'm not talking about the Seinfeld episode where Jerry, Kramer, George and Elaine all see who can last the longest as the "Master of Their Domain." I'm talking about something rated much more PG : Exercise.

Aside from physical limitations and doctor's orders, in my experience it is boredom that most often causes people to quit their exercise programs. We do what we enjoy doing, it really is that simple. So, if we don't enjoy exercising, it stands to reason that we will, at some point or another, stop doing it. Then how do you keep your exercise routine from becoming, um, routine? First, I guess, start referring to it as an exercise Program (not because it will make you any more motivated, but it will prevent you from sounding as redundant as I just did). As for some real techniques, you can check out those I listed a few days ago, or try this new batch I just cooked up.

If you are a treadmill person, bring a deck of playing cards with you to the gym the next time you go (a half or even a quarter deck will also work just fine). Keep the cards in a secure place such as a pocket or fanny-pack, as you don't want to them to start flying all over the place like you're some crazy magician. Start off at a very leisurely walking pace on the treadmill for a minute or two. Then -- and this is where the fun starts -- reach into your pocket and blindly remove one playing card. If it's a number card (i.e. 2 through 10), you can stay at the same pace at which you are currently walking for another minute. Whew...what a relief. But, if you pull a face card (i.e. Ace, Jack, Queen, or King), you must double your current effort level for a minute. Uh oh. And, if you are a more experienced exerciser, you may even want to develop a system where each face card represents different effort levels. So, for example, a Jack may mean that you have to double your effort level, a Queen means to triple it, etc., etc., etc.

After one last ungodly roar of sub-zero temperatures, it seems as though Old Man Winter may soon be off to bed. Believe you me, there is not a single tear of sorrow being shed from my eyes for his departure. The warm(er) weather will be back very shortly, and besides being able to do just about anything outdoors without the fear of freezing to death, it's also a good time to start road work again. No, not construction -- well, come to think of it, construction actually is appropriate a term to use, because you can now resume construction on your bodies. Only now, it is safe to leave the confines of the gym and start walking, jogging and/or running (or hiking, biking, etc.) outside.

There is more than enough research circulating that stresses the important role that exercise plays in total body health, so to point to any would simply be redundant. That being said, our health should be among the most important parts of our lives, so getting your 'exercise on' should be just as much a part of your day as brushing your teeth. Okay, that's out of the way -- now back to the whole exercising outside bit.

In the gym, the treadmills, ellipticals, recumbent bikes and such all have those handy readout screens. They tell us how much time has elapsed, how many calories have been burned (roughly, anyway), our heart rate, the winning lottery numbers, the meaning of life -- you name it, they tell you. But, when you're outside, you don't really have the information handy (other than time, which can be kept on a wristwatch). Another option is the Nike/iPod combination that pumps your favorite tunes through your earbuds while keeping tabs on how many steps you've taken and how much further you have to go to complete your programmed goal. Again, this is an option, but it of course involves shelling out the dough to buy the special sneakers (and iPod, because it does not support any other .mp3 players).

Last year, there were reports that iPods and pacemakers were a bad combination, and that the music player might cause the pacemaker to malfunction. The concern was that the strong magnet inside the iPod could interfere with the electromagnetic technology of the pacemaker.

New research from a scientist at the FDA, however, disputes that theory. Howard Bassen tested four different iPods against a pacemaker set in salt water and found that the iPods could not disrupt the pacemaker's operation.

So if you have a pacemaker, it may be safe for you to rock on and rock out with your personal music device. But as always, don't take it from the Internet...talk to your doctor first.

Fitzness Fiends is a section devoted to you, the reader! We all have learned so much on our path to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! Fitzness Fiends are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect, some are not. All have health on the mind. Please send Fitz your answers to these questions with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Lindsay Johnson

Age: 26

Occupation: Online Advertising Sales

How often do you exercise? Every day

What type of exercise do you do? Weight Training, Cardio, Spinning, Plyometrics

What gets you to workout, even when you're feeling lazy? My iPod. My workout buddy, Lauren, texting me to get up to the gym. And knowing how good I will feel afterward.

Have you ever been in the middle of a workout and the least favorite song on your iPod cropped up? Maybe you created a high-powered gym mix, yet there was one song -- about butterflies and picnics or whatever -- that somehow sneaked its way into the playlist. Then, with great difficulty, because you're in the midst of exercising, you reach down and change the song. The problem is, the next song was recorded at a lower volume level, so you have to again reach down and increase the volume to adjust for the difference. Just - a - little ... aaaahhh!! This small slip of the finger has now practically blown out your eardrums.

As much as a problem as the above example can be, the more common problem is listening to your music too loudly all the time. You should try not to listen to music higher than 85 decibels for more than 30 minutes at a time, as you risk developing permanent noise-induced hearing loss. Of course, unless you carry a decibel reader with you wherever you go, how will you know what your current level is? The much easier way is to use certain outside noises as guidelines. For example, if you're listening to music in a weight room, you should still be able to hear the clanking sound of the iron weights clanging in your vicinity.

Also, many newer models of iPods and other MP3 players have downloadable software that limits the volume to safe levels.

As Bev recently wrote, headphones are increasingly being banned in running races. Though I'm no marathoner, music is definitely a friend to me during a workout. So what's a runner to do if they suddenly find themselves at the starting line, iPod banned?

The Seattle Times thinks they have the answer: a good, solid mantra. They asked experienced runners what got them through a big race, and the answers are kind of interesting. One woman quoted the Little Engine that Could and told herself over and over again, "I think I can!" Others rationalized how disappointed they would be if they failed.

If you're in need of a good mantra, check it out or find some words of inspiration to push you on during your next big workout challenge!

Let me guess: There's someone on your list who has vowed that this will be the year that they finally lose all the weight and get fit. After the holidays, that is. Until then they're going to enjoy themselves. And chances are this person has said this before but instead of getting healthier, they seem to either stay the same or do the opposite.

So this year, why not help this loved one finally take the plunge and start living healthfully? Here are five great gift ideas for the person who's just starting out on a healthy path:

• iPod. An iPod (or any MP3 player) is a key ingredient of many people's healthy routine, mine included. An iPod can be a major motivator and cheerleader on a tough routine. Here's a trick -- before you give this gift, load it up with heart-thumping, inspiring tunes and fitness podcasts.
  
• A subscription to a fitness magazine. Give you loved one motivation delivered directly to their door each month with a subscription to Shape, Fitness, Self or any of the other great mags out there.
  
• A fitness class. Sometimes, all someone needs is a little push. Give them that, and give yourself a gift too by signing the two of you up for a class. It can be anything healthy -- maybe a dance class, a yoga class or a full-on bootcamp. Most people won't get active without someone to do it with them so you'll be doing them--and you--a favour.
  
• A fitness DVD. Some people are scared of the gym so giving them a fitness DVD will give them the opportunity to work out in the comfort of their home. They might never use it so offer to come over and do it with them.
  
• Nice fitness gear. I love my LuluLemon Boogie Crop pants. And since they're not really appropriate for day-to-day life, I enjoy having the chance to wear then when I go for a run. My point is this -- if you buy your loved one a nice piece of fitness wear, one that can't be used just for lounging or trips to the mall, they're more likely to get out and do something fit because they'll want to show off their swanky new duds. I love anything Lulu and chances are you will too.
  

A lot of us use earbuds or headphones pretty regularly, whether it's while working out or during a long subway commute or whatever, and most of us barely give our health and our hearing a second thought while choosing a playlist and adjusting the volume. But research shows we should be giving it some thought, as causing permanent hearing damage is easier than you might think. Experts have suggested some listening guidelines based on how loud you like to crank your tunes (these are for earbuds):

• At 80% of the maximum volume you shouldn't listen for longer than 1.2 - 1.5 hours at a time
• At 70% of the max volume you can listen for quite a bit longer: 4.6 - 6.0 hours
• And if you can keep it to 50% of the max or lower you can listen as long as you want

I have no idea what percentage I usually have my iPod set on, but I'm gonna figure it out!