The Fitness Guru

Here’s a great interview with Dr. Stuart McGill, expert on all things spinal. It’s interesting because Men’s Health magazine recently started promoting abdominal exercises that try to focus on a neutral spine (“try” because their focus is slightly off). But they have taken up the task because of Dr. McGill’s work.

Hey, better late to the party than never, right?

Check it out and pass it along to your friends!

The Fitness Guru

www.fitnessgurunyc.com

The Fitness Guru

www.fitnessgurunyc.com

Beaming

David Mesirow

My friend, David, came up with a great new idea– Beaming. A little yoga, a little Pilates, a little balance and stabilization, all on your your own personal balance beam…. a great workout.

Check out the website.

In just a few short days, we will be getting a brand new president. And because all the media outlets seemed to have changed course and are now reporting on important matters, like the economy and the Middle East, I thought I might share a few two-dimensional thoughts with you.

In between holiday announcements regarding staff and economic recovery, we as a people were given a brief glimpse of the POTUS-to-be’s torso as he frolicked in the surf in Hawaii. His abdomen made several glossy magazines as well as several papers. Editors seemed excited. Not only was this President bringing new hope for society, but perhaps he was also bringing new hope for the physique of America. In all honesty, when was the last time you got excited over the athletic achievements of a politician? Sure, John Kerry had his brief fling with a wet suit during his presidential campaign, but no one reflects glowingly on that. Clinton had a few brief moments as a jogger, but I seem to remember the Secret Service running to McDonald’s more often than not. W cleared brush (‘nuff said.) Aside from maybe Teddy Roosevelt who probably could have wrestled bears and Abe Lincoln who gave up a career as a power forward for the Bulls to follow his love of the law, very few presidents have ever presented athletic personae.

So now we have a president who is stepping up and showing off the fact that he works out several times a week. And given the fact that two out of every three adults in this country are overweight or obese, that’s a fantastic message to be sending out to the electorate. Does that mean that if we workout like the Prez, we too can have six-packs?

Yes, we can.

Well, actually, no we can’t. It’s not that easy. Most of us think that the six-pack is just a natural bi-product of an intense exercise regime. The truth is that for the abdominals to become so prominent that you can grate cheese on them, you need an eighth of inch or less of fat over your abdomen. Anything more than an eighth of an inch and its almost impossible to get that kind of definition. Now, we all have a certain number of fat cell and those are fixed in adolescence. As we get heavier and lighter throughout adult life, we are simply expanding and shrinking a certain number of cells. If the cells covering your abdomen are thicker than an eighth of an inch, all you can do is shrink the cells themselves, but you can’t make them disappear (well, ya can, but that’s a different entry.)

But I will GUARANTEE you that the President-to-be is not exercising so that he can be the first Chief Exec to make the cover of Men’s Health. He keeps up his fitness routine because that is what keeps him sane. Regular exercise is all about staying happy, healthy and focused. There is no way he could get as much done if he didn’t stay fit. Quite the opposite is true: he would become overwhelmed and lose focus.

As we move through the January Resolutions, its important to remember that the whole “getting back in shape” thing isn’t just about getting back into those jeans—its about getting stronger and healthier physically, mentally and emotionally. The media keeps reminding us that these are incredibly difficult times (like we need the media for that.) Strength in all its many layers is crucial. Perhaps the lesson, even before inauguration, is all about preparation. I had a wonderful friend years ago whose battle cry was “Strength and Faith.” We have learned a lot about Faith in the past several months. Now it’s important to stay strong.

Welcome to 2009 and welcome to the First Annual Fitness Guru Webolution!  Our brand new site is going to be dedicated to helping you achieve your New Year’s Resolution by offering workout ideas, tips, recipes, pod casts and video demonstrations. Each day for the next month we will be offering new information to keep you motivated and involved in attaining your goal. More than that, we are working to bring the tremendous spirit that thrives in our Studio to the Internet. We are expanding our Guru Community into the Web so that, if you should happen to stumble, you will have a place to turn to in order to get back on track. And if you are getting bored or lost, you have a place to turn for inspiration and answers.

A couple of things about our new site: right now, I sort of feel like David Byrne at the beginning of Stop Making Sense (for those unsure of the reference, see below for a visual aid.) I am standing on an empty stage with nothing but an acoustic guitar and a boom box. Slowly, the band grows around me, the music gets bigger, until finally, I am surrounded by a couple dozen musicians and I’m wearing a suit five times bigger than normal and the house is rocking like nobody’s business. OK, so maybe Psycho Killer is not the best theme to get this particular health and well-being party started……..

…..but you get the idea.

As you explore the new site, you will see the foundation of what we have built. All our studio information is on the left hand side of the page, and all our web info is on the right. You can easily ask any questions you like using the Ask The Guru feature, and we can get an answer back to you very quickly. We will be offering both video and audio segments on the pod cast page. And you can keep up with all things Guru on the events page.

If you’re new to the Guru, here is how we work: we never preach from the mountaintop; we are down in the trenches. There is a tremendous amount of health and fitness information out there and many people are willing to try to force that info down your throats, especially this time of year. We are here to help explain all that gobbledygook, and to help you find he path that’s right for you. “8 Minute Brazilian Funkilicous Abs” may not be the best choice for you, but it may work perfectly well for someone else. Think of it this way: in fitness, all roads lead to Rome. The Fitness Guru is your Mapquest. So take advantage of the opportunity. If there is a question plaguing you, be it about cardio-vascular work, weight loss, snacking on the go, post-exercise stretching, whatever, go ahead and ask. I guarantee you that there are probably dozens of people who have the same question, so by asking, you are helping the entire community.

Now let’s discuss the Resolutions. It’s the first of the year. Let’s keep it simple. Your goal for today is to clarify your Resolution for yourself. The clearer you can be, the easier it will be to stay true to your commitment. Here are some quick tips:

• Don’t overstep reality! If you are used to waking up at 10 am every morning and quietly reading the paper with a cup of coffee, then resolving to wake up at sunrise and run 10 miles probably is not the quick road to success. Try to find a path that works with your schedule and your lifestyle.
• Many of us make a resolution to lose weight. This can be a tough one psychologically. We don’t have all that much direct control over our weight. We do have control of various factors that contribute to weight gain. So if I say, “I want to lose 15 pounds”, my focus will be on the needle on the scale and whether or not I can get the damn thing to move, even a little. If that needle doesn’t move, or even if it does move but moves VERY slowly, that can be discouraging, especially if I am putting all this resolve into dropping pounds. And then, if I do lose the weight, the focus becomes “can I keep it off?” It’s a very tough dance to maintain. HOWEVER, if I focus on eating healthier on a daily basis and becoming more active, my weight will start to shift as a natural part of that process. Keeping track of weight loss is a fine gauge of success, but it is only one of several that we will discuss in the next couple of days.
• Create small steps for success. You can’t lose fifteen pounds without losing one first, and you can’t “eat healthy” without going meal-by-meal making better choices. Let’s face it: we spent December in a feeding frenzy and now we see this big mountain of HEALTH in front of us. It can be a little overwhelming. So start small: if you haven’t exercised since fourth grade gym class, don’t start by locking yourself on an elliptical machine for two hours at a time. You will burn out very quickly and you’ll be visiting Godiva.com by January 17^th. Take things day by day and seek out attainable goals that fall within your resolution. “I’m going to have a healthy breakfast” is attainable. “I’m going to go for a 20 minute walk during my lunch break” is attainable. And all these things will lead you to your goal.
• Take advantage of the community around you. Some of us believe that a resolution is like a dirty little secret. We don’t want to let anyone in on it in the event we seem weaker or in the event, God forbid, we should stumble and fall. But our Resolutions are just the opposite: they are commitments that we make to ourselves to improve the quality of our lives. And, right now, everyone around you is trying to make that commitment in ways both big and small. Reach out to your friends, family and the Guru community for support, understanding and inspiration.

That’s enough for now. If you have friends who are about to battle the Resolution, invite them into the community. There is room for all. This is a very electric time and we at the Guru are very excited about what is to come. Thanks for joining us.  It’s going to be a fantastic ride.

Rock on!

Michael