These ads are a fun reminder of how times change…for the better. Read on and have fun.
Doctors and exercise experts agree that the percentage of body fat you carry around is more important than how much you weigh. (Additionally, muscle–which is “healthy” tissue–weighs more than fat, though it takes up less space.
So, the bathroom scale isn’t the best measure of your health and fitness.
A body composition test measures what percentage of your total weight is body fat. Everything else is lean body mass (muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, skin and organs).
How Much Body Fat is Too Much?
Of course, you do need some body fat, to help carry on normal body functions. For instance, fat helps protect your internal organs from injury. However, a high percentage of body fat can lead to heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses. Experts recommend men carry at least 5 percent body fat; women should carry at least 12 percent. But those are just bare minimums for maintaining health.
The recommended body fat level for most men is around 15 percent. For women (who have higher body fat levels) a 22 percent range is considered healthy. Generally speaking, the more fat you carry (above the recommended levels), the worse shape you’re in. Men usually carry their body fat in their abdomen; women carry fat in their arms and their thighs. And statistics show that Americans are increasingly carrying far too much fat.
In 1996, the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that–between 1980 and 1991 an additional 8 percent of American population became over fat. By 2011 the percentage of over weight Americans has hit 68 percent. This means that 7 out of 10 Americans are now over weight or obese. The percentage of children that are over weight or obese is between 30 and 40 percent (depending on ethnicity and gender). According to the U.S. Surgeon General Office the over 300,000 people are dying every year as a result of being too fat. From diseases to heart attaches to actually choking to death. It is unhealthy to be fat.
The reasons given for these loses in “the battle of the bulge” are simple: the American people– adults and kids–are eating too much and not getting enough exercise. Fad diets are not helping, though Americans spend an estimated $40 billion a year on trying to control their waistlines. Statistics show that as much as 95 percent of those people who go on a diet regain all their weight (meaning body fat) back, often times increasing their body fat levels.
If you are concerned about your percentage of body fat, or that or your children, you should seek the guidance of a physician in planning an exercise program and low-fat diet. Under no circumstances should you put children on a diet without the advice of a doctor.
How We Lose Muscle, and Gain Fat
One of the major problems for inactive adults is the fact that–without regular weightlifting (resistance training) of some kind–the muscles you were born with and develop through your active teens and twenties, will rapidly start to be replaced by fat.
As a general rule, inactive women and men start losing muscle at the rate of half a pound a year. This half-pound annual loss of muscle also sees about a pound and a half of fat gained each year. Scientific studies have shown it does not matter if you’re doing regular aerobics, or if you overall body weight remains the same, you will be losing muscle and gaining body fat as yo approach middle age.
By the time you reach 70, most people will have lost about 30 percent of their muscle, unless they have taken steps to prevent (or reverse) the atrophy of their muscles.
Resistance training is the only way to maintain and re-build muscle. For every pound of fat you replace with muscle, your body will burn about 50 extra calories a day, even when you are at rest. An additional benefit of weightlifting is the strengthening of bones (part of your lean body mass), which helps guard against osteoporosis.
Where to Get Tested
If you are interested in getting a body composition test, talk to your doctor, or someone at a sports clinic. They routinely measure clients’ body composition, using a variety of methods.
Many doctors and professionals often measure body fat by using hand-held calipers. A hydrostatic test entails submerging clients in a pool for “underwater weighing”. And Magnetic Resonance Imaging (an MRI) measures fat and muscle by taking X-ray like “pictures” of soft body tissues, muscle, and bone, rendering each of these in different tone, or colors.
The most sensible approach to reducing your percentage of body fat is do eat a healthful, low-fat diet, and to adopt a regular exercise program that includes building and maintaining your muscles.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away… as long as you eat the peel
By Fiona Macrae
Last updated at 10:22 AM on 8th June 2011
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Don’t ditch the peel: Apple peel contains ursolic acid that stops muscle wasting
Don’t ditch the peel: Apple peel contains ursolic acid that stops muscle wasting
An apple a day really could keep the doctor away – as long as you don’t throw away the peel.
The chemical behind the apple skin’s waxy shine is being credited with a host of health benefits from building muscle to keeping the lid on weight.
Ursolic acid also keeps cholesterol and blood sugar under control, meaning an apple a day could do wonders for all-round health.
Researcher Christopher Adams said: ‘Ursolic acid is an interesting natural compound. It’s part of a normal diet as a component of apple peels.
‘They always say that an apple a day keeps the doctor away…’
The importance of apple peel was discovered after Dr Adams, a U.S. expert in how hormones affect the body, set out to find a drug that stops muscles from wasting, keeping pensioners strong as they age and cutting their risk of hard-to-heal fractures.
He said: ‘Muscle wasting is a frequent companion of illness and ageing.
There is a lot of information about exercise and eating right but did you know that they are what is so important for your metabolism. Here is some interesting and important news about you and your metabolism
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Yet another reason to maintain healthy body weight throughout your life: Women who gain roughly 30 or more pounds between the ages of 20 and 55 have twice the risk of developing post-menopausal breast cancer, found in April study of more than 70,000 women from the National Cancer Institute. Weight gain after 55 -which is even harder to combat due to a slowing metabolism-increases risk too. To stay healthy, shoot for a body mass index (BMI) fo 24.9 or lower.
Exercise and and eating right will help you combat cancer. A healthy life style is vital to a long life.
Loss of Female Hormones Leads to Muscle Loss Tuesday, February 9, 2010 by Susan Lark Declines in muscle mass and physical strength are common effects of menopause. The drop in female hormones at menopause, particularly estrogen, doesn’t just increase body fat; it also diminishes the strength and size of muscles. This muscle loss boosts the risk for a separate set of conditions, including insulin resistance, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and traumatic injuries caused by loss of strength and athleticism. So, it’s incredibly important that menopausal women hold on to the muscle they have and, ideally, gain back the muscle they’ve already lost. To build muscle in your postmenopausal years, you must add weight training and/or resistance exercises to your natural weight loss plan and workout routine. But lifting weights is not your only option. Studies show that aquatic resistance training and using a whole-body vibration device are both excellent options. I wrote about these suggestions in great detail in the December 2009 issue of my newsletter, Women’s Wellness Today. For more information on this topic, you can subscribe and gain access to years of back issues, including this one.
You have to wonder what he’s up to these days. We need to find him and get him to comment on the blog. How fun would that be?
Whoever finds Scott first and gets him to leave a comment on the blog gets a free Soloflex T shirt.
The latest reports show that 2/3 of American adults are overweight or obese. As a result, we suffer health problems like diabetes and heart disease. The most common reasons we struggle with our weight:
1. Not doing the right kind of exercising. Exercises that build muscle are critical. Strength training keeps your metabolism going strong.
2. Not doing enough exercise. The body is designed to move, to work. Take the stairs, bend over and pick up trash, pull weeds, climb trees, play tag, make love; whatever you can do to activate your body. Becoming more physically active not only burns calories, it improves energy levels, sleep and mood.
3. Don’t drink soda pop. Eliminate it entirely from you life. In one study, researchers removed only one food item from the subject’s diets. Soda pop was the only removed item that caused weight loss. Avoid anything containing HFCS, High Fructose Corn Syrup. It’s in many prepackaged foods, even some breads.
4. Eating the wrong foods. Avoid sugar and anything made with refined flour. When you want something sweet, eat fruit. Eat a LOT of vegetables but avoid creamy dressings. Eat meat sparingly. Eat whole grain breads and cereals. Eat slowly. Eat with family or friends when possible. Don’t fight at the dinner table; a habit in too many families. Don’t eat in front of the TV, although that’s better than stabbing each other with forks should the conversation heat up.
5. Eating too much. That’s so obvious but everyone needs to know how much is too much. It’s a lot less than most people think. One thing that helps is to use smaller plates and bowls. Here’s a rule of thumb (not the rule that you can’t beat your wife with a stick bigger around than your thumb): Half your meal should be vegetables, a quarter protein and a quarter whole grains or starch (potatoes/pasta/bread).
6. Get enough sleep. The connection between sleeping more and weighing less is well established.
7. Do not go on rigid diets. Very low calorie diets lower one’s metabolism by causing the body to lose muscle, thus gain fat on fewer calories. Low calorie diets don’t work. Diets that eliminate entire categories of foods can lead to vitamin deficiencies. Fast food dining should be avoided. Take pleasure in preparing fresh locally grown foods and eating with friends and family.
We have been in business since 1978. In that time we have never had a major safety issue with our machines…sure an occasional stubbed toe. A tripping hazard, maybe? Major and repeated recalls, never!
For the last 30 years there have only been 2 major players in the home weight lifting industry, Soloflex and Bowflex. They couldn’t be more different. The Bowflex record speaks for itself. When I got the idea to write this post, I googled the term, ‘Bowflex recalls’, and holy crap, there were pages of information! I literally saw dozens of articles on their recalls, injury hotlines, and attorneys soliciting business from injured Bowflex owners. In 2004 alone, there were 800,000 Bowflex machines recalled. It’s amazing to me that with all this damaging information about how poorly constructed and dangerous they are, people still buy them! Unbelievable.
We have never considered Bowflex to be anywhere near the same quality as a Soloflex. We feel sorry for people who have gotten duped into buying one, only to realize how cheaply made they are, BUT cheap they are not! The Bowflex costs nearly $3000 bucks! The Bowflex is made in China, I’m guessing that’s a seriously healthy mark up.
The bigger point folks, is that a Bowflex is not real weight lifting equipment! Soloflex products are made from 100% steel, always made in the USA and have a awesome reputation for being durable and ageless in design. There are 25 year old Soloflex’s bought and sold on Ebay, that speaks volumes about the quality! I think it’s a safe bet that all Bowflex machines will be in a landfill 25 years from now.
At Soloflex we get regular calls from disgruntled Bowflex customers. The problem they have is this, Bowflex likes to come up with a new fancy design every few years. The problem is that they discontinue making the parts for retired models. In some cases, if you own a Bowflex that’s only a few years old, there’s no way to buy replacement parts if something breaks. Soloflex on the other hand, is still in the business of providing excellent customer service to people who bought their Soloflex machines in 1978. We still sell all the parts for the Soloflex and every other machine we’ve ever made. We don’t believe in planned obsolescence.
All good (and bad) things must come to an end eventually. Speaking of the end, I’ve noticed that Nautilus stock is plummeting month after month. I think Bowflex’s time is just about up. Maybe they need one more recall to finally call it quits. It shouldn’t take long.
And that’s how I see it, how about you?
The secret to feeling better and living longer is exercise. Regular exercise can prevent diabetes and heart trouble. It can also reduce arthritis pain, anxiety and depression. It can help maintain independence.
Seniors need resistance training to build muscle and bone. Resistance training keeps the body limber and flexible. It improves balance to reduce the risk of falls.
If you are interested in feeling stronger, healthier and more vital, a strength training program is for you. Strengthening exercises increase the strength of your muscles, maintains and builds bones, improves your balance, coordination and mobility. The health benefits far outweigh the risk of injury, a concern that prevents many elderly people from adding more physical activity to their lives.
Research has shown that resistance exercises are both safe and effective for women and men of all ages, including those who are not in very good health. In fact, people with health concerns benefit from lifting weights a few times each week.
ARTHRITIS RELIEF
Tufts University recently completed a strength training program with older men and women with knee arthritis. The results showed that strength training decreased pain by 43%, increased muscle strength and general physical performance, improved symptoms of the disease and decreased disability. In the study resistance training was just as effective if not more effective than medications for easing pain. Similar effects of resistance training have been seen in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
RESTORATION OF BALANCE
As people age, poor balance and flexibility contribute to falls and broken bones. Resistance exercises increase flexibility and balance, which decrease the likelihood and severity of falls.
STRENGTHEN BONE
Post menopausal women can lose 1-2% of their bone mass every year. Results from studies showed that resistance training increases bone density and reduces the risk for fractures.
PROPER WEIGHT MAINTENANCE
Strength training is crucial to weight control because more muscle means a higher metabolic rate. Muscle is active tissue that consumes calories while fat uses very little energy. Strength training is extremely helpful for weight loss and long-term weight control.
BLOOD SUGAR
Studies show that resistance training has a profound impact on helping older adults manage diabetes. In a recent study, resistance training produced dramatic improvements in blood sugar that are comparable to taking medications. In addition, the men and women in the study were stronger, gained muscle, lost body fat, had less depression and felt more confident.
HEALTHY STATE OF MIND
Strength training provides similar improvements for depression as anti-depressant medications. Currently, it is not known if this is because people feel better when they are stronger or if strength training produces a helpful biochemical change in the brain. It is most likely both.
SLEEP IMPROVEMENT
People who exercise regularly fall asleep more quickly, sleep more deeply, awaken less often and sleep longer. As with depression, the sleep benefits obtained as a result of resistance training are comparable to treatment with medications but without the side effects or the expense.
HEALTHY HEART
Studies have prompted the American Heart Association to recommend resistance training as a way to reduce risk of heart disease and as therapy for patients in cardiac rehabilitation programs.
Scientific research has shown that resistance exercise can slow the aging clock. Studies have shown that lifting weights 2 or 3 times a week increases strength by building muscle mass and bone density.
One 12-month study conducted on postmenopausal women showed 1% gains in hip and spine bone density, 75% increase in strength and 13% increase in balance with just 2 days per week of strength training. The control group had losses in bone, strength and balance. Strength training can also have a profound effect on reducing falls, the number one cause of death in the elderly.
Soloflex revolutioned the home fitness industry with the introduction of the Soloflex Muscle Machine in 1978.
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